Gundam-Evangelion Crossover
by Keiichi Morisato
Summary: The Gundam in the title of this fic DOES NOT and WILL NOT pertain to Wing. I just don't see how and why Wing and Eva would be connected. Anyway, UC is much better than AC. Go figure.
1. Prologue The Black Gundam

Half a century ago, mankind began moving its over-swollen population out into space. Within the cylindrical walls of gigantic space colonies, man recreated the world he once knew. In the year 0079 of the Universal Century, hundreds of these new homelands float silently above the planet Earth. Here in these fragile vessels, human beings are born...live...and die.   
  
Even the vast emptiness that is space, however, is not enough to allow   
differing ambitions and aspirations to co-exist. The colonies of Side   
3, furthest from the Earth, banded together and declared themselves the   
Duchy of Zeon. First on their agenda was a war of independence from   
the corrupt arm of the Federated Union of Earth.   
  
It was a war without precedent, both in terms of casualties and   
bitterness. The first month of fighting alone saw both sides lose half of   
their respective populations. As stories of various atrocities were made   
known, horror gripped mankind at what the conflict had brought in its   
wake. Time passed, and still no solution to the conflict could be found,   
neither side able to gain a decisive advantage over the other.   
  
As our story opens, the stalemate has remained unbroken for eight weary   
months...as a small regiment of the Duchy of Zeon (AKA the colonies   
of Side 3) arrives in a Side 7 colony to stake its claim. It is a move   
designed to break the ongoing stalemate between the Duchy and the Earth   
Federation.   
  
********************   
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover   
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)   
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.   
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.   
All rights reserved.   
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments such as watching "Annie" all day or have Akane   
Tendo or Miaka Yuuki cook for the thief responsible for a WHOLE YEAR.   
heh heh heh. I'm serious, folks.   
********************   
  
[Act 1]   
  
Episode 1, "Prologue"   
-------------------   
  
[U.C. 0079 - Early that year]   
  
The Zeons managed to seize an abandoned colony with the intention of   
dropping it whole and entire, onto the Federation stronghold in Jabrow,   
somewhere in South America. A concerted effort by the remnant of the   
Federation's battle cruisers merely managed to push the colony off its   
original trajectory; their meager firepower was not enough to destroy the   
colony completely.   
  
Anxious watchers tracked the colony's descent. Antarctica became   
ground zero, and the explosion following impact decimated nearly a   
third of the Earth's population. Ever after, it would referred to as the   
"Second Impact", after a similar incident millions of years before, when   
an immense meteor fell to Earth and exterminated all prehistoric life.   
  
Miraculously, there were those who survived the consequences of the   
Second Impact. Later, a treaty was signed in Adelaide, South Australia,   
one of the few remaining Federation strongholds. A key provision in the   
treaty outlawed military tactics involving the dumping of colonies and   
nuclear warfare. It also offered a six-month cease-fire between the   
Duchy of Zeon and the Federated Union of Earth.   
  
The cease-fire proved advantageous for the Federation, which managed to   
seize a still-intact robot - the MS-06 Zaku II -- commonly used by the Zeons.   
It was referred to as a "mobile suit" because of its similarity to an   
armored space suit.   
  
Federation Lieutenant Gendo Ikari was originally assigned to study the   
technology of this robot. Ikari, a prominent Japanese engineer, was   
responsible for developing the blueprints of the Federation's battle   
cruisers. At that point, however, the Lieutenant chose to tender his   
resignation, sending shockwaves through Federation high command.   
  
Admiral Revil rubbed his chin as he considered Ikari's announcement.   
His senior officers could be heard murmuring in the background...   
  
"Ikari-kun, I'm afraid I can't grant your request, much as I would like   
to," said Revil with genuine regret. "These moments are crucial to our   
survival. You are the most valued battleship engineer and sortie   
officer we have, and we need your skills here!"   
  
"Admiral, if it were only possible, I would stay and support our   
campaign against Zeon. But. . . I don't have it in me anymore." Gendo's   
voice dropped a notch. "Yui. . .my beloved wife. . .she passed away two   
weeks ago."   
  
Revil was stunned into silence. His *wife*?   
  
Gendo's low voice continued, "Since she left us, all my thoughts are   
with her. My children cry out for their mother, and there is no one to   
wipe their tears. If a man's mind cannot be wholly upon his job, then   
he has no right to put other lives in danger."   
  
Revil's eyes widened imperceptibly at the mention of children. God, I   
didn't know he had a family...the man must be totally devastated...   
"Therefore, Admiral, I most humbly ask that you accept my resignation."   
  
There was a long, endless moment of silence before Revil finally spoke.   
"Very well, Ikari-kun. I appreciate your telling us the true reason   
for leaving the service. You may submit your resignation papers to me   
any time within the next 48 hours."   
  
Revil sighed heavily and continued, "I hope you can appreciate what   
losing you at this point in the stalemate means to the Federation."   
  
"Admiral, Lieutenant First Class Tim Ray is perfectly capable of taking   
my place," replied Ikari reassuringly. "After all, we are - were - in   
the same division and class. You will have my resignation as soon as   
possible, Admiral. Thank you. Perhaps we will meet again. Until then..."   
  
Gendo rose smoothly from the conference table and stood to attention,   
right hand extended to his brow in salute to his superiors. Revil   
returned the salute, and not too long after Gendo left the room, even more   
murmurs emanated from the commanding officers seated around Revil.   
  
"How can we be sure he wasn't lying, Admiral?" asked Valentine.   
"I trust him, that's reason enough," growled Revil. "He is a family   
man after all. True, on occasion I have seen him act as cold-hearted as   
anyone could. But when he said his wife had died. . .I could hear from   
his voice that he really did feel terrible. It is for the best."   
  
Spiegel said doubtfully, "But who knows, Admiral? Gendo Ikari is   
mystery itself personified."   
  
The murmurs soon faded away in the face of the inevitable and Revil's trust. But if anyone had chanced to see Gendo walking down the halls of the main stronghold of the Federation Forces, they might have wondered at the faint smirk that twisted his mouth upwards...of which the first would be his colleague in the Federal Forces in question, Lieutenant Tim Ray, also one of the Feds' prominent mechanical engineers.   
  
"Ikari-kun."   
  
"Ah, it's you, Tim," Gendo had answered him, looking at him as though his resignation was all part of some sort of a shrewd plan. "Everything is in place, my old friend."   
  
"I have to let you know that I'm still uncomfortable with this. The appointed time of arrival of the Angels is still..."   
  
"The Angels may come at any time. We--I--am not doing this just because this is the right thing to do. This I do because it's necessary, it's what will befall us if we do not take action now."   
  
"I...will accept your excuse, Ikari-kun," sighed the Federal Forces lieutenant. "But still...it will be a long time before I can feel...should we say, 'clean' again."   
  
As Gendo turned around and walked away from his colleague, he just let that very same smirk show on his face once again. "Nerv will do what it must."   
  
"'Nerv will do what it must.' What does it all mean?" repeated Tim Ray in a faint whisper. He wondered if Nerv "doing what it must" would become more distasteful than it already was.   
  
It was only but a few days later that it was rumored that former Federation Lieutenant Gendo Ikari ran off with copies of the blueprints for the captured Zeon mobile suit.   
  
Lieutenant Tim Ray took his place as head of the so-called "V Project",   
taking intensive studies of the mobile suit's capabilities. The idea   
was to incorporate these capabilities into the Federation's prototype   
war machine.   
  
The Zeons, on the other hand, had exhausted their resources by the end   
of the Adelaide Treaty and were in stasis for around the said six-month   
ceasefire...or were they?   
  
[U.C. 0079 - present]   
  
The appearance of three MS-06 Zaku II's on a Side 7 Federation colony set into motion plans for immediate evacuation of the area. A number of innocent civilians were killed during the evacuation as the Zakus laid siege to   
the colony.   
  
In the midst of the chaos, Lieutenant Tim Ray's 15-year old son Amuro   
managed to board a strange-looking white mobile suit, seemingly   
abandoned in the sudden turn of events. Young Amuro, long considered something   
of "geek" by his peers, managed to defeat two of the Zakus with ease,   
working from the mobile suit's manual perched on his lap, and pure   
instinct. Never having so much as piloted a paper plane in his life, the   
results of his escapade came as something of a shock.   
  
Federation troops assigned to fetch the white mobile suit back to   
Earth had only one question on their bemused minds: "Who was the pilot?"   
  
"Whether a trained pilot or someone else, we'll need someone like him,"   
Ensign Bright Noah commented while evacuating what was left of the   
colony's residents into the Pegasus White Base, a one-of-a-kind revolutionary   
Federation battle cruiser.   
  
The grim reality was that young people such as Amuro and Bright were   
forced into the service in the war against the Zeons. With almost all the   
adults of the various colonies becoming casualties of war, both sides   
had taken to recruiting children.   
  
Amuro, whose obvious ability had been noted during the evacuation   
defense battle, reluctantly accepted his position as a member of the Earth   
Federation defense forces. To no one's surprise, he became the pilot of   
the white mobile suit. He, together with his Side 7 friends,   
immediately took their places as the White Base's de facto crew. Bright Noah,   
though ranked as Ensign, functioned as the assistant Captain of the ship.   
His first mission was to transfer the people aboard the White Base back   
to Earth now that the living conditions were now considered unsafe in   
that Side 7 colony.   
  
Zeon Lieutenant Commander Char Aznable learned of the Side 7 colony   
incident from a Zaku pilot who had escaped the strange mobile suit's   
rampage.   
  
"I have to check this out," Char told himself. Which he did, by   
launching an attack against the White Base in his own customized red   
commander-type MS-06S Zaku II.   
  
Federation and Zeon alike knew how Char's reputation had been made.   
During the Ruum Campaign (the event leading to the colony drop on   
Antarctica), he had taken out five Federation Salamis cruisers by himself.   
Under normal circumstances, it would take five or more Zakus to eliminate   
two, or at most three Salamis cruisers. For a single Zaku to destroy   
five such vessels was little short of a miracle, and this daring,   
near-suicidal feat earned Char the nickname of "The Red Comet".   
  
The strange white mobile suit was now known among Federation ranks as   
the "Gundam". Char was more than ready to face-off an inexperienced   
Amuro; the latter was hard put to hold his own against the red Zaku.   
However, Char had his own share of difficulties with the Gundam's superior   
performance and mobility, armor, and its pilot's reflexes.   
  
Back on the White Base, some evacuees were less than enthusiastic about   
the idea of living on Earth, although it was the safest thing to do.   
But Char's last attack had driven the White Base off-course and into Zeon   
territory somewhere in North America. Garma Zabi -- youngest son of   
the Zeon ruling family -- controlled the area, the commander of Zeon's   
Earth Forces. Garma also happened to be a friend of Char Aznable.   
  
The White Base survived a swarm of attacks by Garma's forces after its   
arrival on Earth, then suddenly found itself with the upper hand in a   
chance encounter with Garma's fleet. It was young Zabi's extreme   
misfortune to have spotted the Federation carrier hidden near his base of   
operations. The small fleet was destroyed, and Garma along with it.   
  
"GLORY TO THE DUCHY OF ZEON!!!" was his final battle cry as he rammed his B52 bomber-like battlecruiser Gau into the Pegasus White Base. Young Garma   
was hailed as a martyr for the Zeon cause, due in no small part to an   
extremely charismatic funeral oration delivered by his eldest brother.   
He was deeply mourned by those he left behind: his father, the Duke   
Degin Sodo Zabi; elder brothers Giren and Dozul - the former a schemer and   
the latter a "brute"; and his older sister Kishiria.   
  
No one realized that Garma was merely a pawn sacrificed in a trap whose   
purpose was to make increase the anger and hatred of the Zeons towards   
a corrupt Earth Federation. A pawn sacrificed by his "friend" Char   
Aznable.   
  
But apparently Char had more in mind...   
  
The White Base proceeded westward into the Asia-Pacific region. Zeon   
ace pilot Ranba Ral kept pace with its course, harassing them with   
innumerable sorties. Amuro Ray was now ranked as Chief Petty Officer, more   
experienced in battle, but still unsure of his abilities. However, the   
doubts did not stand in the way of his leading a successful attack to   
exterminate Ral's forces.   
  
Freed from Zeon attacks for the time being, the White Base set course   
for Odessa, an Eastern European region rich in mineral production.   
Objective: to recapture Odessa under the leadership of Federation Admiral   
Revil.   
  
After a brief stop at Belfast, Ireland, the White Base docked at the   
Federation's main base at Jabrow, South America. Admiral Revil met with   
the White Base crew and, after commending them on a job well done,   
presented them with a new assignment. The White Base was to head back into   
space as a decoy while Jabrow prepared to strengthen their forces   
against the Zeons.   
  
Code-named "Operation Star One", Revil added that the White Base crew   
were most probably Newtypes, a new generation of humans with advanced   
powers of perception and intuition, much like espers in a way.   
  
Once out in space, the White Base hovered in a temporary position over   
the neutral colonies of Side 6. It was here that Amuro met with his   
estranged father, Lieutenant Tim Ray, who had suffered brain damage during   
the Side 7 attack. Here too, Amuro met a mysterious girl named Lalah   
Sun, a dusky beauty whose features hinted strongly at her Indian origins.   
  
Lalah was revealed as a powerful Newtype, forming an immediate bond   
with Amuro, whose own hidden Newtype power was starting to emerge. The   
only snag in this budding friendship was the presence of Char Aznable,   
who presented himself at Side 6 in the apparent role of Lalah's   
chaperone.   
  
It was not long before the White Base engaged in battle with a small   
Zeon fleet headed by Char. Millions watched the conflict as it was   
broadcast over television networks. Amuro's Gundam wiped out nearly the   
entire Zeon fleet within a matter of minutes; his Newtype potential had   
manifested itself at last, and combined with his natural ability as a   
mobile suit pilot, resulted in a virtually invincible Gundam fighter.   
  
The battle launched Operation Star One and preparations were made to   
launch the Federation's assault on the Zeon asteroid fortress Solomon.   
Amuro quickly engaged in battle with Zeon High Commander Dozul Zabi --   
the late Garma's elder brother. Dozul put up a valiant struggle in his   
huge mobile armor, the Big Zam; but Amuro, armed only in the Gundam,   
manages to destroy it. Solomon was captured, but not before Dozul managed   
to evacuate his wife and baby daughter Minerva from the vicinity prior   
to the start of hostilities.   
  
During a White Base patrol run over the now-ravaged Texas Colony, Amuro   
and Char clash once again. But somehow, both of their mobile suits are   
immobilized. Sayla Mass, a White Base crew member, is sent to find the   
downed Gundam, but encounters Char instead.   
  
Their conversation over a communications link is heard by Lieutenant   
Bright Noah, and what he hears boggles the mind. Char and Sayla greet   
each other as brother and sister, offspring of the founder and rightful   
leader of the Duchy of Zeon, Zeon Zum Daikun. It is revealed that Char   
is planning revenge on the Zabi clan for murdering their father.   
  
With the entire Federation fleet now gathered at Solomon, the time has   
come to execute Phase II of Operation Star One. But Federation battle   
cruisers are helpless against a new Zeon mobile armor - the Elmeth -   
designed expressly for Newtypes, employing remote-controlled weapons   
called "bits" in its arsenal. Elmeth pilot Lalah Sun engages Amuro's   
Gundam in combat. . .and both pilots promptly recognize each other through   
the realization that they are "Newtype soulmates".   
  
Before either side can react to this startling discovery, Char enters   
the fray, and Lalah sacrifices her life to protect him from Amuro. This   
tragedy increases the two rivals' hatred for each other.   
  
As the Federation fleet departs Solomon to attack the asteroid fortress   
A Bao A Qu, Zeon's last line of defense, they are contacted by Duke   
Degin Zabi himself. Tired of the war and demoralized by the death of   
Garma, his favorite son, he has come to make peace with Federation General   
Revil. But as Degin and Revil meet, Degin's scheming son Giren unleashes   
Zeon's ultimate weapon. The Solar Ray - a colony converted into a giant   
laser cannon - strikes out from Side 3 and vaporizes a third of the   
Federation fleet, including Revil and Degin.   
  
This leaves Giren Zabi as the supreme commander of Zeon and its forces.   
He promptly goes into battle with the remaining Federal Forces at A Bao   
A Qu. During the battle, Giren is confronted by his younger sister   
Kishiria over what he has done to their father. Unconvinced by his excuses,   
Kishiria shoots Giren and takes over, dispatching Char in the   
still-unfinished Newtype mobile suit Zeong.   
  
Char soon clashes with Amuro to the point where the Gundam is now   
without its head and the Zeong, without its body...taking the fight to a   
personal level. The two rivals blame each other for Lalah's death. Sayla   
interferes to break off the fight after arriving with the White Base   
and Federation reinforcements from Solomon. Kishiria's forces take   
flight with Char in hot pursuit, and his vow of vengeance against the Zabi   
clan is fulfilled when Kishiria dies at his hands.   
  
The White Base crew is happily reunited with Amuro, and the battle   
cruiser departs from A Bao A Qu with few regrets.   
  
Thus ended the One-Year War. The Duchy of Zeon passed on to civilian   
control, now calling itself the restored Republic of Zeon. The new   
Republic signs a truce with the Earth Federation on January 1, U.C. 0080,   
and a full cessation of hostilities follows shortly afterward.   
  
What of the Red Comet? Char Aznable, exhausted but never wavering, was   
rumored to be seen fleeing with the remaining Zeon troops, looking off   
into space...vowing to liberate the colonies of the monster that is the   
Earth Federation.   
  
[U.C. 0079 - a few days before the truce is signed]   
  
Somewhere in Germany...   
  
"Herr Ikari, I still can't believe time has gone so fast for us."   
  
Gendo Ikari slanted a look at Fuyutsuki and nodded. "Yes. The   
predicted time of arrival will be any moment now. We should be prepared. . ."   
  
In that dimly-lit room, Ikari rose from his seat. Hands in his   
pockets, he thought about the events that transpired during the year of war   
between the spacenoids and earthnoids. Not that they were of any   
importance to him, really.   
  
The Earth Federation and the Zeons can kill each other off, for all I   
care, he thought.   
  
Murmurs filled the room. An elderly man with weird-looking eyeglasses   
shifted his seating position so he could be more or less "seen".   
  
"Seven years, Herr Ikari," he said, "Seven more years till the Angels   
come..."   
  
"Until then, we will have to wait, Herr Kiel Lorenz," replied Ikari,   
addressing the elderly man. "The end is at hand. We will shed no tears for   
those who know not. May God save the Earth and her colonies..."   
  
[U.C. 0083 - present]   
  
For almost three years, the Earth Federation maintained a relative   
peace between the colonies and the home planet. One had to take into   
account that "minor" situation between the Delaz Fleet and the Federation,   
after all.   
  
The Delaz Fleet took its name from its regiment leader, Colonel   
Aiguille Delaz, and was made up of the last remnants of the Zeon rebel forces.   
The Fleet sought to regain the supremacy of the Duchy of Zeon; a   
supremacy lost during the climactic last stand between Zeon ace pilot Char   
Aznable and Federation Gundam pilot Amuro Ray.   
  
To this end, the Fleet succeeded in kidnapping one of the Federation's   
pet projects - the Gundam Unit-02, "Physalis". Its primary weapon was   
a nuclear bazooka, an obvious violation of the Adelaide Treaty, which   
expressly forbid (along with the tacting of dropping colonies to earth)   
the use of nuclear weapons during the conduct of war.   
  
While not as long as the One-Year War, hostilities between Federation   
Forces and the Delaz Fleet were as intense, if not more so than during   
that previous period. Eventually, the Federation quelled the Fleet's   
shrewd plan of mass destruction: "Operation Stardust" - a plan that   
involving the seizure of the dreaded Gundam Unit-02 *and* the dropping of an   
abandoned colony on Federal Forces' headquarters in Jabrow, South   
America.   
  
Before long, shady conspirators from within the Federation would create   
an elite military organization - who would eventually come to be known   
as the notorious "Titans" -- to combat further terrorism and   
anti-Federation rebellions.   
  
Episode 2, "The Black Gundam"   
-------------------   
  
The year was 0087 of the Universal Century.   
  
In a day and age when men live in the cylindrical behemoths known as   
"colonies", some patterns of everyday life -- making a living, going to   
school, shopping, meeting up with friends -- remain the same.   
  
The peculiar human emotion called love continues to flourish in this   
technology-driven era, and young couples in that condition are as easily   
spotted as they have been for generations.   
  
Take, for instance, the young couple coming down the street. The boy   
appears more feminine than he really is. You know the type - one of   
those "pretty boys" hated by other guys, while girls hang about him like   
pendants on a necklace. He's carrying his girlfriend's shopping bags   
and judging by the number, it seems she's been buying a little too much.   
She doesn't seem to mind the expense, though, skipping along happily   
without a care in the world.   
  
"Hmmm!" giggled Fa, looking mischievously up into her companion's face.   
"Let's go somewhere really nice, Camille!"   
  
The young man sighed windily, his voice somewhere between weary and   
impatient as he protested. "Aaaagh! Do we have to, Fa? I'm soooo tired.   
. ."   
  
Fa nodded firmly, turning to face Camille head-on.   
  
"Mmm-hm!" Fa squinted up at him, "This is for standing me up the other   
day, after all. Right now I can definitely say that revenge is sweet!   
Besides, ever since you won that 'Build Your Own Mobile Suit' Junior   
Competition thingy - I hardly get to see my little girly-boy darling any   
more."   
  
Camille facefaulted as Fa's pretty features settled into a pout.   
  
"Fa, you sure know how to diss a guy. . ." he began, only to add   
hastily as her expression darkened ominously, ". . .aaaah, n-n-not that I   
think you diss *me*, or anything like that. . ."   
  
Fa held the pout a while longer, enough to discomfit her friend   
completely. When Camille thought he had really put himself in the hot seat,   
Fa suddenly put on her happy face and skipped along, grabbing Camille by   
the arm and dragging him off to wherever she wanted.   
  
Little did they know that they were on a collision course with destiny.   
Not far from them was a small group of off-duty Titans officers taking   
a stroll around the colony. Members of the elite unit dedicated to   
stamping out anti-Federation activities, the officers were full of   
themselves, oozing what they thought passed for machismo and what everyone   
else recognized was trouble waiting for an excuse to happen.   
  
"Jerid, ya bastard - I'm calling in that bet you made earlier!" said   
one of the officers.   
  
"Yeah!" exclaimed another, while ogling the pretty young women passing   
them by. "Double the money if you can pick up someone even remotely   
like Li'l Miss Daisy!"   
  
"Shut up, man!" Jerid snorted, then grinned. "I'm doing it - I'll be   
some lucky girl's Mr. Casanova tonight, baaay-bee! Yeah!"   
  
The officers accompanying Jerid cheered him on with catcalls and rowdy   
comments on the fate of the hapless woman who would herself in Jerid's   
clutches. It was then that the Titans crossed paths with Camille and   
Fa, setting into motion a chain of events that would change all their   
lives forever.   
  
"Hm-mm! Looks like I'll be taking down two birds with one stone today,   
boys," chuckled Jerid, eyeing Camille and Fa. "Just watch the master in   
action and maybe you'll learn something."   
  
Camille and Fa, engrossed in the pleasure of the day, found little to   
be pleased about when Jerid's heavy arms landed across their shoulders   
in a most familiar way. Camille felt all the hairs on the back of his   
neck rise up in protest at the contact, and stiffened as Jerid spoke.   
  
"Heyyy, ladies. Don't you lovelies want to have someone as tough and   
rough as yours truly escort you back to your sweet little homes?   
Hmmmm?"   
  
Fa felt sweatdrops form on the side of her head, and could barely   
stammer out an answer. Taking this for assent, Jerid called to his friends,   
"Hear that, boys? They *love* me!"   
  
Jerid's companions started laughing as their leader began caressing   
Camille's face. "Hmmm, I like cute blue-haired girls too, you know.   
They're the hottest in *this* galaxy. . ."   
  
It was too much for Camille, whose hands had clenched into fists as he   
slipped from beneath Jerid's arm.   
  
"W-what *did* you call me?" spoken low and fiercely, fury barely   
suppressed. Looking at Camille's red face, Fa knew it wouldn't be long before   
mayhem would be unleashed on the unsuspecting Titan.   
  
"Eh? Weren't you listening, cutie? I guess I must have. . ."   
  
"DON'T EVER FUCKING CALL ME A GIRL AGAIN!!" roared Camille, not   
sounding like a woman at all. His fist followed the words within   
split-seconds, driving straight into Jerid's nose. Camille felt the satisfying   
*crunch* of broken cartilage as Jerid reeled backwards a step, straight   
into the arms of his comrades. His eyes burned fiercely at the group.   
"You womanizing Titans jerks, get out of here!"   
  
A meaningful silence surrounded the immediate vicinity. No one, but *no   
one* got away with talking to the Titans like that, and Fa knew it as   
well as the next person. For that reason, she clung to Camille's arm,   
restraining him from launching a second punch, which would almost   
certainly seal his doom.   
  
Nervous murmurs rose from the knot of men surrounding Jerid: "Uhhh. .   
." "He's. . .he's a *guy*, Jerid. . ."   
  
Jerid touched his nose gingerly as he sat up on his own, his eyes   
glaring back at the slim youth who had dared to lay a hand on him.   
  
"Aaaargh...don't you think I know that already, fools? Get him!"   
  
"Take me on, will you?" taunted Camille, adrenaline surging as he   
gently but firmly pushed Fa off to one side, out of harm's way. "Come on   
then! I won't be holding back!"   
  
Jerid's comrades attacked in full force, but Camille swiftly took the   
upper hand; long hours spent in martial arts training paying off at   
last. The Titans officers were trashed in a matter of seconds, leaving   
Jerid and Camille facing each other one-on-one.   
  
In a swift move, Jerid palmed a cleverly concealed .45 pistol and   
shoved its barrel under Camille's chin. As his opponent froze, Jerid   
chuckled in sadistic glee.   
  
"Well, well, girly-boy. Looks like *I'm* the winner," sneered Jerid,   
directly into Camille's helpless glare. "Boys, tie him up! We're dragging   
his carcass back with us to headquarters! Let's show this quack how we   
deal with bastards who go up against Titans officers..."   
  
The Titans officers quickly obey. Bruised and battered, they cuffed the   
now-helpless Camille's hands and throw him into their nearby transport   
pod, riding off to the nearest Titans precinct in the colony.   
  
Left behind was a weeping Fa, apparently helpless, but it was a mistake   
they would regret. Already her mind was working in overdrive on a way   
to get Camille out of this ruckus...   
  
[A few hours after the incident.]   
  
The section of the colony known as Green Noah 2 was where the Titans   
had established a military base, code-named "Gryps". Under cover of   
darkness, three mobile suits managed to infiltrate the base and took cover   
behind some large mounds of dirt. The trio was led by a mobile suit in   
flaming red, whose pilot, Quattro, went over the mission orders with   
his men one final time.   
  
"Apolli. Roberto. . ." Quattro's voice came clearly over the   
communications system. "Are you absolutely clear about the purpose of this   
mission?   
  
"Yes, Commander. We are to obtain all the information we can on the   
Titans' activities, with special attention to those concerning the   
development of new mobile suit projects." Apolli's voice was calm.   
  
"If complications arise," came Roberto's reply, holding a hint of   
wishful thinking, "We are to use appropriate action to control or neutralize   
the situation."   
  
Quattro nodded from inside his mobile suit, a red "Rick Dias" and started to head for the Gryps Base alone. His two wingmen stayed just a distance near the colony and waited for further instructions from their Commander via a communications link.   
  
As Quattro moved silently towards his destination, the   
events of the last seven years flashed through his mind. The death of   
his noble father. How the family responsible for his murder ruined the   
Duchy that was Quattro's rightful inheritance. Quattro's successful   
revenge. Mixed feelings of victory and defeat warred within him, and he   
clutched at his chest, as if to still the conflict raging in his soul.   
  
Victory and defeat. Some would call it a hollow victory. Yes, he had   
won revenge for the death of his father. But never would he stand   
united with his family, ever again. Quattro was alone now, and there would   
never be anyone to help him.   
  
The thoughts seethed through the young pilot's head as each step took him closer to his goal.   
  
But not even the harrowing events of the past seven years would ever   
compare to the atrocities that the Titans had committed; Quattro could   
clearly remember the spy report delivered during a board meeting with   
certain resistance groups against the corrupt Titans.   
  
Two to three months before, the Titans claimed sighting anti-Earth   
Federation demonstrations and Zeon mobile suits on the "30 Bunch" colony.   
This colony was located on Side 3, in the heart of the Republic of   
Zeon.   
  
Reaction to the alleged anti-Federation activities was swift and   
deadly. Three million innocent civilians were subjected to nerve gas pumped   
throughout the colony. Genocide, pure and simple. Word of the massacre   
was successfully hushed up among the colony system.   
  
Little did the Titans know that counterintelligence spies from among   
the resistance groups had gotten wind of the barbaric act. This led to   
the creation of the Anti-Earth United Nations Government, or the AEUG.   
This paramilitary force, composed of renegade Federal Forces officers   
and soldiers and former Zeon troops, was formed solely to combat the   
oppression of the Titans. It was no surprise that Quattro elected to join   
with AEUG, and rapidly assumed a leading role in the resistance.   
  
Leaving his red Rick Dias somewhere at the colony's entrance, Quattro pushed all thoughts of the past aside as he carefully entered a hangar of some sort after avoiding some quite loose security in the colony's airlock "gates". Making sure his "homoavis", a mini-rocket-powered jetpack-like gadget worn at the back that allows one in space to float towards or away from a destination, was working properly, he took out his mini-cam which was also visually linked to his two wingmen outside the colony and took shots at what seemed to be a new black-colored Gundam model.   
  
was the thought   
chasing through his head. He opened the comm link to his men, wanting to   
get their reactions.   
  
"What do you think?" he asked softly, and Apolli's voice was first to   
return an answer.   
  
"These look like new mobile suit models, Commander."   
  
"Judging from looks alone," added Roberto, "These look more powerful   
than the last model they came up with in '79."   
  
"Indeed." Quattro thought a few moments, and then issued his orders, "Here's the plan. I will create a nice, loud diversion while one of you fires a flare. That will signal the Agama to fire at the colony's side so you two can get in without trouble. In the confusion, we will grab either three or four of these mobile suits and get them back to home base. . ."   
  
[Elsewhere on the base]   
  
Camille awoke in a solitary cell, aware of aches and bruises in places   
he never realized existed in the human body.   
  
Realization came as he sat up very, very slowly.   
  
Camille winced as something began throbbing inside his head.   
  
He rose from his cot and looked outside the barred window. Nothing to   
see but the vast expanse of the base, bathed in moonlight.   
  
  
  
The sound of someone knocking on the cell door made him turn, watching   
warily as the door opened to reveal a kind looking young woman in   
Titans uniform. A quick glance at her shoulders told Camille she was an   
officer, and he shot her a look of distaste.   
  
"What do *you* want?" he asked, making no effort to disguise the   
hostility in his voice. "Your friends have had their fun with me. What more   
could you possibly. . ."   
  
The female officer shut the door swiftly behind her, making an urgent   
gesture to hush Camille. When she spoke, her voice was low and musical   
- and very urgent.   
  
"Listen, I saw the whole thing. It's unfair for you to be locked up   
here just because you hit those jerks. A pity I couldn't stop that fool   
Jerid..." The young woman sniffed in disdain, then turned her glowing   
eyes on Camille. "I'm going to get you out of here no matter what. All   
you have to do is just be quiet for a sec..."   
  
The sudden offer of freedom bewildered Camille, and suspicion tinged   
his voice as he tried to grasp the situation. "Huh? *You* are going to   
get *me* out? That's pretty strange, coming from a Titans officer - why   
should I believe you?"   
  
A tiny wry smile twisted the young officer's mouth. "Let's just say I   
still believe in certain things that Jerid doesn't - like honor and   
truth and justice. Besides, it'll be worth it to see the look on his face   
when he finds out you're gone. So. Are you going to take this chance,   
or not?"   
  
Camille stared for a long moment at the officer, and saw in her lovely   
eyes the truth of her words. Besides, what did he have to lose? At   
least he'd have gone down trying, whatever happened.   
  
"OK, I'm in," he said at last, and the young woman nodded. She opened   
the door a crack, checking the hallway for potential interference or   
discovery. Seeing the coast was clear, she pushed the door wide, and   
gestured Camille to follow her through it.   
  
Once in the hall, she took his hand - Camille, like any normal young   
man, immediately became aware of the strength and warmth of her slender   
fingers - and the pair dodged from hallway corner to hallway corner,   
finally emerging from the compound, both of them panting and sweating.   
  
"Haaaa. . ." came Camille's breathless voice from the darkness of the   
shadows thrown by the wall where they were taking shelter. "Now that is   
what I call some *tight* security! Thank you. . .geez, I don't even   
know your name!"   
  
The young officer's eyes were busy roving the area ahead for signs of   
the outdoor patrols. At Camille's exclamation, she whispered   
hurriedly, "I'm Emma. Lieutenant Fourth Class Emma Sheen."   
  
"Emma. . .I'll remember the name."   
  
"Whatever. No time for long goodbyes. Once they find you're gone the   
whole base will be on emergency alert. You've got to go *now*, before   
you're seen!"   
  
With that, Emma pushed Camille out from the shadows, and slipped back   
into the building, closing the door behind her. Camille ran as fast as   
he could, not knowing where he was going, just as long as he could find   
a way to get away.   
  
he thought to himself,   
  
He ducked into a nearby hangar, where he managed to conceal himself   
from some Titans soldiers on the run.   
  
  
  
The hanger shook to the core from the shockwaves of a blast somewhere   
nearby. Braced against a wall, Camille rode it out with little damage,   
only to have another blast send him back down to the floor as he took a   
step forward.   
  
Camille shook his head. No time to find   
out, what mattered was to survive the firefight and get home, somehow. .   
.   
  
"Hey, YOU!"   
  
  
  
Adrenaline took over from that point, sending Camille running as fast   
as possible from the Titans. Something metallic gleamed in the darkness of the hangar - a black mobile suit, lying on a transport vehicle. Its bulk was reassuringly familiar, and Camille headed for it and the shelter it provided against the soldiers' bullets.   
  
Without stopping to think, Camille clambered onto the ebony-colored Gundam, slamming himself into the cockpit, automatically locking the doors and sweeping   
his eyes frantically across the control panel.   
  
  
  
There was nothing for Camille to do but flip control switches on sheer   
reflex and his bare-bones knowledge of how a mobile suit was   
controlled. To his immense relief, the Gundam responded, rising from its resting place like some avenging angel, scattering the terrified Titans in all   
directions. He even thought of terrorizing that Titans military police officer who beat him up earlier while he was being interrogated...he could still clearly remember that ugly freak's face...   
  
...and just as he was thinking that, Camille found the MP officer and chased him all over the place, the boy laughing in sadistic glee as the said Titans officer scrambled in terror for cover.   
  
Minutes before Emma pushed Camille towards freedom, the AEUG battlecruiser Agama, "parked" just a distance from Gryps, had seen one of the Rick Diases' flare signals. The crew onboard immediately remembered what they are to do once they see the flare: send particle cannon fire into the unsuspecting colony base to distract the main force of the Titans while the team of three Rick Diases break and enter into Gryps and seize three or four of the rumored new Gundam models.   
  
The Agama obliged by firing its main beam cannon at the base perimeter, near the hangars, and within seconds Quattro had reached the colony's entrance to retrieve his own red Rick Dias. He and his men would later let all hell break loose with bomb blasts and direct assaults against the Titans' defense strategy.   
  
The ensuing commotion was meant to cover their escape with a prize haul   
of some of the strange new Gundam models. The extraction had to be   
done swiftly, however, with the compound suddenly swarming with Titans   
soldiers. Quattro, Apolli and Roberto, together with the escaping   
Camille, easily destroyed a swarm of RGM-79 "GM"'s and a second small wave   
of Titans-issue RMS-106 Zaku II's.   
  
Jerid, in his own Zaku II, ran into the crimson-colored Rick Dias. Careful not to create further damage in the colony, the Zaku and the Rick Dias engaged, and eventually Quattro proved his worth as a seasoned mobile suit pilot by slashing off both arms of his opponent's mobile suit with a beam saber. The escape is complete, with Apolli and Roberto each dragging a Gundam and fending off any GM's that would come their way with beam rifle shots.   
  
Withdrawing from the scene of conflict, Quattro, a Newtype, sensed   
another "force" greater than his own.   
  
  
  
Suddenly, his monitor reported a visual of *another* black Gundam making its   
way through the colony. It was heading for the hole created by the   
Agama's cannon blast. A swift question to his men was sufficient to   
confirm that the third Gundam was *not* from the Agama.   
  
Quattro opened a comm link to the third Gundam's frequency and hailed   
the pilot. "Do not panic. We are not going to attack you. I repeat, we   
are not going to attack you. Identify yourself!"   
  
"Camille. . .Camille Vidan. . .sir."   
  
The answer, coming in through static, shocked them all into momentary   
silence, and then, Apolli's voice exclaimed, "Commander, it's just a   
*boy* in that Gundam!"   
  
Roberto's voice came in after another pause. "What do we do now, sir?"   
  
Quattro weighed the situation swiftly, then said, "We go back to the   
Agama, as planned, Roberto." Then, directing himself to the newcomer,   
"Camille, was it? How would you like to come with us? You look like you   
want to get off this colony in a hurry."   
  
"Yes. . .I do." The younger man's voice turned suspicious. It was the   
second offer of unconditional help in such a short span of time, and   
once again, from a total stranger. "What's it to you, anyway? And why   
should I come with you? For all I know you might just be one of those   
Titans again..."   
  
"You'll just have to trust us, won't you? We are definitely not   
Titans, I'll tell you that. If you come with us, I'm sure we'll be able to   
get you back where you came from."   
  
Camille thought. I certainly don't have the force to   
beat all the Titans mobile suits by myself...might as well give it a   
shot...   
  
"Yeah yeah, I'll go with you. Got nowhere else to go anyway..."   
  
Quattro released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding until   
that moment. "Good. Apolli, Roberto, Camille, help me carry our old   
mobile suits into the Agama and let's get out of here. . ."   
  
[Back at the base]   
  
Titans Colonel Bosque Ohm, residing commanding officer in Gryps, was   
*furious*. His face was beet-red as he berated his men: "You FOOLS!!! How   
could you let them GO?! I can *not* believe you let those AEUG rebels   
steal four of our mobile suits so easily! AAAAGH!! This is totally   
unacceptable! LIEUTENANT FRANKLIN VIDAN! What have you to say about this?!"   
  
The Lieutenant stared straight ahead as he had been taught in boot camp,   
stone-faced as his superior officer ranted and raved in near-hysterical   
wrath. His voice was equally stony as he replied.   
  
"Sir. We were caught unprepared. There was no indication at all that   
the AEUG would launch an internal attack." The Lieutenant paused, then   
continued, "I have a hunch that the Red Comet. . ."   
  
Ohm glared fiercely at the hapless junior officer. "Surely you're not   
going to tell me that the Red Comet Char Aznable was behind all of   
this?"   
  
Silence.   
  
"I will have no more excuses from you, *Lieutenant*," breathed the   
Colonel, putting an ominous emphasis on the junior officer's rank. "We   
must recapture those Gundam Mark-IIs. As. Soon. As. Possible."   
  
"Yes, sir. With your permission..."   
  
"DISMISSED!"   
  
It was a bad night for junior officers. Even as Lieutenant Vidan was   
enduring the storm of Colonel Ohm's fury, Jerid and his squadron were   
receiving a dressing-down of their own, from the hands of the legendary   
Colonel First Class Bright Noah. Coincidence had brought the Colonel to   
Gryps moments before the firefight erupted, and he was *not* happy with   
the turn of events. Not at all.   
  
"Careless. Reckless," said Noah grimly. "How could you let them get so   
far into the base? *Mister* Jerid Mesa? We've just lost any number of   
Gundams, and three of the new Gundam Mark-IIs!! Do you have anything to   
say?"   
  
Jerid stood with his eyes front and center, a mirror pose, had he but   
known, of Lieutenant Vidan's before Bosque. His voice was cold as he   
replied, "It won't happen again. Colonel."   
  
Noah's keen eyes took the measure of the young Titan, and a flare of   
strong emotion was quickly extinguished before anyone could see. His   
eyes swept the rest of Jerid's group, and his jaw tightened.   
  
"Damn right it won't happen again," growled Noah fiercely. "You have   
*got* to make more effective sorties against the AEUG. Never forget you   
have a duty to the Federation - to defend the Earth from those who   
would oppose it, using all means necessary. DIS-MISSED!!"   
  
Jerid and his fellow Titans could be heard murmuring various sarcastic,   
dismissive remarks as they fell out of rank and shuffled off to their   
quarters for what was left of the night. Noah sighed, and closed his   
eyes wearily, thus missing the emergence of Lieutenant Emma Sheen from   
the shadows.   
  
She had been watching the entire thing from a short distance away, and   
her heart had sighed at the tired expression on Noah's face - the look   
of a man who had seen too many battles, and lost far more than the   
young rowdies who had left could ever imagine.   
  
So lost in thought was Noah that he never heard Emma's soft footsteps.   
Only when she was a few feet from his side did he open his eyes with a   
start, nodding recognition of her presence at last.   
  
"Oh...it's you, Emma."   
  
"Colonel." Emma's voice was soothing in the quiet of the night. "Do you   
really think we're doing the right thing? Is it true, our duty to   
defend the Earth, and all that stuff we were taught in the Academy?"   
  
Noah sighed. "Now that you mention it. . .I'm not sure if there's any   
truth to it anymore."   
  
"It's been seven years. You're being asked to do upstairs duty again."   
  
"If that was *really* the Red Comet attacking us earlier," murmured   
Noah, ignoring Emma's comment, "How could we refuse to fight? But those   
Gundams are an irresistible target. . ."   
  
Emma stood silently, watching Noah follow his train of thought to an   
unpleasant conclusion.   
  
"Why would Colonel Ohm test his mobile suits here in Gryps at all?"   
Noah's eyes flashed into Emma's. "This is a *civilian* colony, for God's   
sake. Innocent people could get hurt!"   
  
Emma paused a moment before replying. "You're right. Why would he   
indeed? Do you think we should go see him and ask him about it?"   
  
"Yes, I think we ought to pay the good Colonel a visit," nodded Noah.   
The air of weariness had dropped from his shoulders; he was a man who   
had made a decision - a command decision - and intended to see it   
through. "Putting the lives of millions of innocent people in danger, just to   
score over the AEUG. It's unforgivable.   
  
"Let's go, Emma."   
  
A soft chuckle hung in the air between them, as Emma tilted her head   
consideringly at Noah.   
  
"And who put *you* in command. . .sir?" she teased gently, rewarded by   
the faint smile that crossed Noah's face. "Aren't you on leave from   
Federation duties until further notice?"   
  
"In battle, protocol always takes second place to the task at hand,   
Lieutenant."   
  
"Fine words for the captain of a luxury intercolonial cruiser. . .what's her name again? The 'Temptation'?"   
  
"Correct. But Emma. . ." Noah's eyes gleamed in a way that brought   
heat into the Lieutenant's face, "I think you know me well enough by now   
to know that it doesn't matter. Cruiser captain or Federation Colonel -   
if the situation calls for it - I'm taking command."   
  
"Aye, aye, SIR!"   
  
Noah and Emma wasted no time in storming Colonel Ohm's office. They   
paused outside the door long enough for Noah to tell Emma to keep watch   
outside in the hall. The young Lieutenant opened her mouth as if to   
protest, then snapped it shut, recognizing the voice of real authority.   
  
That settled, Bright then pushed into Ohm's office, slamming the door   
behind him in barely-suppressed rage. The other members of Ohm's staff   
stepped back at a nod from their superior officer, allowing Bright to   
confront the Colonel.   
  
"Colonel Ohm." Noah's voice was as hard and cold as space diamonds.   
"It has occurred to me that this *civilian* colony never received   
official orders from the Federation to allow itself to be used as a training   
ground for your mobile suit force.   
  
"That being the case, the presence of your group needlessly exposed the   
colony -- to the danger of an attack such as tonight's escapade. An   
act completely out of line with Federation regulations, sir."   
  
Ohm took his time answering, and when he did, it was in a sly, devious   
voice, meant to provoke. "If it isn't Lieutenant Junior-grade Bright   
Noah, of the infamous Trojan Horse. How long has it been? Six, seven   
years? Enough time to go from Lieutenant to Colonel to *Captain*. . ."   
  
Noah's eyes glinted dangerously, and his hands clenched as he fought   
for control. "I require an answer, sir! In case you have forgotten, the   
chain of command places *all* Titans activities under the jurisdiction   
of Federation Forces. You are required to answer to *me*, as   
representing the Federation's authority on this base. . ."   
  
"What *are* you talking about, my dear Lieutenant - oh, pardon me --   
*Captain*?" Ohm's tone dismissed Noah's request as if it were a fly on   
his sleeve. "In case *you* have forgotten, the Titans were employed by   
your precious Federation in order to exterminate the Zeons. It was   
Admiral Heimann's stated aim, and no doubt would be Admiral Revil's as   
well, if he were alive."   
  
"Admiral Revil would never seek the extermination of the Zeons...!"   
Noah's voice was shocked, defensive of the commander he had been honored   
to serve. Ohm snorted in disdain.   
  
"Whatever. If you don't like what we're doing, then I suggest you get   
out of my face and tell your Feddie superiors to stay out of our   
business." Noah bristled with anger, and a cruel smile broke over Ohm's face.   
"Just to make the point clear, we're sending you to them with your tail   
between your legs!"   
  
Ohm then hit Noah squarely in the face, dropping him to the floor. The   
other officers followed suit against the stunned man, and beat the   
hapless Noah into a pulp.   
  
When at last they had done with Noah, he was barely recognizable as a   
human being, so intense was the beating. Ohm stood over him and sneered,   
"Don't you know how to *respect* your elders, *Captain* Bright Noah?   
Looks like your momma didn't teach you that when you were a kid...Take   
him away, boys!   
  
Bosque's officers mocked Bright as they picked him up and threw him out   
of Ohm's office, battered and bruised. Emma started at the heap on the   
floor, barely stifling a cry of shocked fright at what had happened.   
  
As the door clicked shut, leaving them alone in the hall, Emma dropped   
down to her knees beside Noah's prone form, helping him up as gently as   
she could, considering there was hardly an unmarked place for her to   
put her hands. Eventually, she managed to get him to his feet, and   
braced herself as he leaned heavily against her for support.   
  
"We need the infirmary," she murmured, her anxious eyes sweeping over   
the damage sustained by Noah. It looked worse than before, now that he   
was standing up. "Colonel Ohm was responsible for this?"   
  
Noah nodded, the movement sending nausea sweeping through him, and only   
the feel of slender Emma bracing his arm over her shoulders kept him   
from sinking back down to the floor.   
  
"Colonel. . ." a hacking cough shook him as they took slow, painful   
steps forward. "His officers, too. Felt they needed. . .boxing practice.   
. ."   
  
"Oh, Colonel!" Emma's voice broke at the lame attempt at humor.   
  
"You know, Emma, I'm beginning to have second thoughts. . .about all of   
this."   
  
"Not now. First we need to get you fixed up. Talk comes later."   
  
As Emma dragged Bright off to the nearest clinic, questions went   
through her mind, planting the seeds of doubt regarding the genuine   
objective of the Titans' mission.   
  
Closer to the situation at hand - why would Colonel Ohm instigate   
Noah's beating? What was it that he had done wrong?   
  
What was it that they were *really* fighting for, anyway?   
  
---   
  
Quattro and his squad - plus one -- made it safely back to the Agama,   
that proud flagship of the AEUG fleet. Her technology was   
awe-inspiring. Not since the days of the Pegasus White Base had such an advanced battle cruiser put out to space.   
  
Quattro managed to keep a straight face while observing Camille's eyes   
drinking in every detail of the ship. It proved slightly more   
difficult than Quattro thought to maintain the stern expression; for he tended   
to think of the Agama as *his* ship, every sleek and lovely line of her   
as delightful as any woman's, and to watch this newcomer ogling his   
"lady" sent a thrill of possessive pride down his back.   
  
Over the next uneventful days, Quattro and Camille discussed a lot of   
things. General topics, gradually centering around the AEUG cause, and   
the Titans' oppression of the colonies - so flagrant as to be   
practically flaunted in everyone's faces.   
  
The more Camille learned about the AEUG, however, the more he realized   
the difficulty of his position. His up close and extremely personal   
experience of the Titans' cruelty was one side of the coin. But his   
parents were Titans engineers, tasked with maintaining the machines of   
oppression. To join with Quattro would mean cutting himself off from his   
family - but to *not* fight this oppression went against every sense of   
fair play within the lad.   
  
It was during the tail end of one such discussion, when Camille had   
tried to haltingly explain the turmoil within him, that Quattro held up   
his hand. His eyes were kind as they watched the conflicting emotions   
playing over Camille's face.   
  
"It's your decision, Camille," he said at last. "Once you've made it,   
I can be reached anywhere on the ship."   
  
Camille sighed and turned towards the window beside him, out at the   
vast expanse of stars and space. "Yeah. Commander?"   
  
"Hm?"   
  
"Where are we headed?"   
  
"We're on course for La Vie En Rose. The Agama needs to put in for   
supplies. Maybe we'll have a chance for some shore leave, if we're   
lucky."   
  
Camille turned his head slowly towards Quattro. "La Vie En Rose? *The*   
La Vie En Rose?"   
  
Few indeed were those in the galaxy who had not heard of the famous   
cruiser docking bay. It derived its name from its shape, which resembled   
that of a rose in bloom. It was also the home base for the Anaheim   
Electronics mobile suit engineering group.   
  
Quattro nodded, "The very same."   
  
A grin split Camille's face from ear to ear. "Whoa! This is one heck   
of a treat, Commander! I've always wanted to go see the most famous   
docking bay in four galaxies. . ."   
  
"This isn't a high school field trip, Camille. We're on the edge of   
what could be the most historic battle fought between spacenoids and   
Earthnoids."   
  
"I know." A soft sigh, then silence, as Camille looked out into space   
once again. "Commander?"   
  
"Hm."   
  
"What does Anaheim Electronics have to do with the AEUG? I thought. .   
.aren't they aligned with the Earth Federation?"   
  
"Officially, yes. But we managed to convince them - and a number of   
like-minded business firms across the colony system - that helping the   
AEUG would be more beneficial to their continued well-being." Quattro   
pushed his sunglasses upwards along the bridge of his nose. "We've been   
extremely lucky. Their cooperation ensures that we have no problems   
with our own mobile suit production and research."   
  
A discreet bleep interrupted their conversation; Quattro was wanted on   
the bridge. With a nod of his head towards the elevators, he silently   
gave Camille permission to accompany him. As he stepped onto the   
bridge, he was met by the Agama's First Mate, AEUG Chief Petty Officer   
Henken Heckner.   
  
"What's this emergency situation?" asked Quattro, as Camille hung back   
at a respectful distance, keeping himself out of the way. Especially   
when he recognized the rounded figure of Brex Forra, former Federal   
Forces General and now supreme leader of the AEUG.   
  
Amazing, thought Camille idly, how a man that resembled a   
short-bearded, mustache-less Santa Claus was responsible for running the Resistance. . .Heckner's voice interrupted his musings.   
  
"Well sir," the First Mate was saying, "It appears there's someone out   
there who doesn't like the AEUG roaming around the outskirts of Side 7.   
A really fiery wench, I might say, sir."   
  
Quattro raised a questioning eyebrow. "A woman?"   
  
Henken's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Yup. Lyla Mira Lyla. A Federal Forces   
ace. Heard of her in the old days. Almost as good as Gato in the old Zeon camp. Looks like she's going to hit the Agama any minute now with her black Gundam Mark-II - it's up on the Minovsky radar."   
  
As eyes swung towards the screen, absorbing the sight, Henken wondered   
aloud, "Think she's got PMS today? Could make things pretty lively."   
  
Quattro chuckled, sound rarely heard on the bridge, and those within   
hearing range held back surprised gasps and widened eyes that remained   
studiously fixed on workstation screens.   
  
"I don't think so, Henken," said the young Commander. "Get my Rick   
Dias ready for battle. I'm going to take the lady out to dinner."   
  
Camille gagged in surprise, as Henken chuckled, appreciating the joke.   
  
"Aye, aye, sir," he said, then opened a comm link to the mobile suit   
hangar. "All hands on deck! Prepare Commander Quattro's mobile suit for   
battle, on the double!"   
  
Commander Forra smiled at Quattro, a smile that included Camille   
standing just a few paces behind.   
  
"I see you haven't lost your sense of humor, Commander. Here I've   
been, thinking you were always so serious about our job in the AEUG. . ."   
  
"Oh, but I am, sir. I am." The eyes of both men met in a look of   
perfect understanding. Quattro saluted the Commander, and after it had   
been returned, said to Camille, "Later, Camille. You'll be all right up   
here."   
  
Forra sighed as they watched Quattro head for the lift that would take   
him to the Gundam hangar.   
  
"Jolly sort of chap, eh? It just doesn't show. . .he always looks like   
he has something on his mind. I wonder what it could be."   
  
The old man seemed to be talking to himself, and Camille, not sure   
whether he was being addressed directly, replied as politely as he could.   
  
"Uhhhh. Yes. Yes, sir."   
  
The young voice roused Forra from his seeming reverie. "Hmmmm? Oh.   
Yes. You're that young man Quattro brought in after the Gryps incident.   
What is your name, again?"   
  
Camille drew himself up stiffly and saluted the older man, in a fair   
imitation of Quattro's own stance just moments before. "Vidan, sir.   
Camille Vidan of Green Noah 1, Side 7, sir! It is an honor to have made   
your acquaintance, sir!"   
  
Forra laughed, but it was a kind laugh, for the old man saw in Camille   
the young man he once used to be, right down to the obvious   
embarrassment and flushed face at meeting people normally spoken of in hushed   
tones of respect.   
  
"There, there, lad, no need for ceremony! At ease!"   
  
"Uhhh. . .yes, sir. Thank you, sir."   
  
"Better." Forra studied Camille with keen eyes. "It says in Quattro's   
reports that he's asked you to serve with us."   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
Forra sighed. So young, he thought. So damn young to be asked to take   
up arms, but there's precious little choice.   
  
"Boy, do you believe in Newtypes?" Forra watched Camille's face mirror   
the consideration he was giving to formulating his answer to the sudden   
question. "Do you believe that they truly exist, and that they are the   
final stage in mankind's evolution?"   
  
"I. . .I can't say that I don't believe in their existence, sir. Or   
the rest of it."   
  
"How about our mission - our noble cause, if you will - to free the   
colonies and the Earth from the oppression of the Titans? Have you heard   
of the 30 Bunch Colony incident some time back, on Side 3?"   
  
Camille nodded, his face sober. "Commander Quattro told me all about   
it. Personally, I have to say I'm outraged about what happened. It's   
sick."   
  
"Indeed. But that's not even the half of it." Forra's eyes grew lost   
in memories. "A long time ago, when I was still with the Federal   
Forces, I had serious doubts about the Titans. Mostly about their methods of   
suppressing anti-Earth sentiments within the colony system.   
  
"I was right. They were just a bunch of jackbooted thugs in uniform.   
That's how the AEUG came to be - I, along with a number of my   
colleagues, Zeon soldiers and officers, resigned our services from the Earth   
Federation. We called our renegade bunch the Anti-Earth United Nations   
Group."   
  
The blue-haired boy stood silent as he tried to make sense out of the   
situation. If anything, he was more confused than ever before. He had   
tasted the "disciplinary measures" imposed by the Titans; how could he   
allow such things to be perpetrated against other innocent people?   
  
But. . .his parents. Titans engineers, good at what they did, and   
proud of their work. Sincerely believing that what they were doing was the   
right thing; just as Forra, Quattro, and the rest of the AEUG believed   
*they* were right. How would they feel, to find out their son had   
betrayed them, changed sides in a war not of their own making?   
  
"You come from good stock, Vidan," Forra said quietly, reading the   
boy's face accurately. "Your father Franklin was once under my command in   
the Federal Forces. Times change. Circumstances have a funny way of   
arranging themselves. And now we are. . .where we are."   
  
"It would mean going against all I was ever taught to believe in. All   
that *they* believe in."   
  
"I know. Betrayal is a bitter pill to swallow. When it involves those   
you love. . ." Forra's voice faded at the anguish in Camille's eyes.   
"Just think about it. That's all I'm saying."   
  
After a moment of silence, Camille looked away from the Commander's   
perceptive gaze.   
  
"Sir, *you* believe in Newtypes, don't you?"   
  
Forra accepted the sudden change of topic with good grace. "I do. As   
do quite a number of people in the Federation. Chief Petty Officer   
First Class Amuro Ray, our hero of the One-Year War, is living proof that   
Newtypes do exist. Why do you ask?"   
  
"The thought occurred to me. . .is my importance to the AEUG simply   
because I'm a Newtype? I need to know, sir."   
  
"We're not saying for certain that you are a Newtype, Camille. We only   
suspect that you have the ability. If so, we might need more of your.   
. .expertise, if you will, in our struggle against the Titans. Please   
understand. . ."   
  
"I see." Camille drew himself to attention once more. "I have yet to   
formally accept your offer or Commander Quattro's to join with your   
cause."   
  
"I know."   
  
"But I *am* giving it a lot of thought, I assure you. Now, with your   
permission. . .sir."   
  
The old general returned Camille's smart salute with a token lift of   
his outstretched hand. He watched Camille walk down the same dark   
hallway that Quattro had used to leave the bridge, and sighed heavily.   
  
Newtypes. Are they really our salvation, or just some far-fetched hope   
for a new tomorrow? Or some ill effect of mankind moving into the   
great unknown called outer space?   
  
In his reverie, Forra barely noticed Navigator Torres' frantic updates   
on the status of the battle between Quattro and Lyla Mira Lyla.   
Vaguely Forra's mind registered something about the AEUG ace being caught in   
a real tight situation with the female Titans ace not far from the   
flagship.   
  
"SIR! This is an emergency! Commander Quattro's being whipped   
*really* bad out there. We've *got* to send backup. . .!"   
  
"Torres, calm down and stop worrying. Commander Quattro can hold his   
own out there, and then some."   
  
After all, thought Forra, Lieutenant Commander 1st Class Quattro Bajina   
*did* take out five Federation battleships with just *one* MS-06S Zaku   
II in the old days, didn't he?   
  
Those who had eyes to spare, kept watch on the giant monitor as Gundam   
and Zaku clashed with one another. The battle was in the balance - both   
mobile suits were giving no quarter, and it would obviously be a close   
fight.   
  
Who would be the victor? Who would win in this - so far - little   
skirmish? Would this be the start of a series of similar skirmishes leading   
to a full-fledged war between Titans and the AEUG?   
  
While pondering these questions, Forra's attention was called by Bridge   
Communications Specialist Ahura.   
  
"Commander Forra, sir."   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"We've been hailed by an unarmed Titans' mini-dropship. It's hovering   
outside the docking bay and reuqesting permission to enter. The pilot   
claims to be unarmed, and apparently has a message from Titans Colonel   
Bosque Ohm for you. Your orders?"   
  
"If the pilot is unarmed, I don't see any reason why we should deny   
permission to board. We may as hear what it is the Titans want to say   
now, as at any other time."   
  
In a few moments, the mini-dropship's pilot presented herself for   
Forra's inspection. Had her arrival coincided with Camille's discussion of   
his future with Commander Forra, it is doubtful that he would have   
failed to recognize the pretty young brunette that appeared at the entrance   
to the Agama's bridge.   
  
"Lieutenant Fourth Class, Junior Grade, Emma Sheen, of the Lemieux   
Fleet, 26th Corps, sir." The voice was polite, her manners excellent,   
noted Forra, as he returned her salute. Altogether an excellent example of   
what an officer should be. Emma continued, "I was instructed to   
deliver this special dispatch into your hands alone, sir."   
  
"Do you know what the dispatch contains, Lieutenant?" asked Forra,   
taking hold of the small white envelope Emma extended to him.   
  
"I believe it pertains to your passage into this particular quadrant of   
space, sir."   
  
"Please have a seat, Lieutenant. Over there will do nicely."   
  
Emma murmured her thanks and settled herself at the empty console   
indicated by the Commander. She kept her eyes trained on his expression as   
he opened the envelope and scanned the papers contained inside. Forra   
snorted, and glanced up at Emma with a grimly amused expression.   
  
"Quite a high-handed document, this," he said. "It asks for nothing   
less than the complete surrender of the AEUG to the Titans. Would you   
care to elaborate?"   
  
Emma blinked at the question. It was unusual for anyone senior to her   
in Titans command to ask for her opinions or evaluations. Now here was   
the commander of the enemy forces asking her to explain Colonel Ohm's   
letter.   
  
"I. . ." Emma hesitated, then, looking straight into Forra's eyes,   
replied with carefully chosen words. "Regarding the contents of the   
envelope - Colonel Ohm did not take me into his confidence. It's hard to say   
what he has in mind, or what he meant."   
  
"But. . ." prompted Forra, seeing the worry in Emma's eyes. He was not   
to know she was remembering the sight of Colonel Bright Noah after his   
beating at the hands of Ohm and his men. If a man was so single-minded   
in the pursuit of his objective that he could ruthlessly beat an   
officer on his *own* side; how far would he go in dealing with the enemy?   
  
"His actions worry me, sir," said Emma at last, knowing it to be the   
truth. "They worry me a great deal."   
  
Forra grunted and returned to his scrutiny of the papers. "Perhaps if   
you heard some of what's in here, you might be able to form a better   
evaluation. Let's see. . ."   
  
Emma listened attentively as Forra read aloud from the dispatch, almost   
able to hear the words in Ohm's belligerent tones: ". . .demand an   
immediate surrender of the said four RX-178 Gundam Mark-II's illegally   
seized during a clandestine operation against the Gryps base on Green Noah   
2. We also demand the immediate and complete surrender of your   
insurgent group AEUG, to the high command of the Titans Forces. . ."   
  
"Your commander seems to think he's dealing with a bunch of amateurs,"   
growled Forra, shaking his head as he scanned the papers further. Then   
suddenly his brows crashed together as he read the next lines, his   
voice growing troubled. ". . .If you refuse to comply with these demands,   
be advised that you will be signing the death warrant of one Hilda   
Vidan, the mother of one of your crewmembers. . .WHAT!"   
  
The blood drained from Emma's face as Forra's roar of shocked outrage   
echoed throughout the bridge, sending everyone into uneasy silence.   
Vidan! The memory of the blue-haired lad with the soft, almost-girlish   
features, flashed clear and bright in her mind's eye. He was here! And   
his mother was. . .Oh, God!   
  
"By the time you read this, direct your radar to these coordinates. .   
." Forra barked the figures to the radar workstations and they soon   
brought up on screen a horrifying picture verify the words Forra continued   
to read, almost in spite of himself. ". . .and you will see that we   
have Mrs. Vidan locked in a capsule about a thousand or so meters from   
your flagship."   
  
"He's insane!" cried Forra, his angry eyes blasting into Emma's   
horrified face, now the color of alabaster against the red of her uniform.   
"How could your commander *do* such a thing?"   
  
"No, please, no. . ." whispered Emma, trying to deny what the radar   
screen clearly showed - the slender metal capsule with its human cargo   
suspended in space above the Titans battle cruiser "Alexandria". Moments   
ago she had wondered how far Bosque Ohm would go in dealing with the   
enemy. Here was the answer.   
  
In her entire career as a Titans officer, Emma had believed in the   
rightness of the cause she fought for. To defend the Earth, "and all the   
rest of it", as she told Colonel Noah. Watching Jerid and his men   
implementing their orders, even the very nature of their orders, had made   
her wonder. The sight of Colonel Noah's battered form had shaken her   
faith even more.   
  
But this. . .!! To use an innocent civilian - one of their own   
engineers, for crying out loud! - as a pawn in a deadly game to retrieve   
*machines*!! Never mind that these were top-of-the-line mobile suits meant   
to give the Titans an advantage in these never-ending hostilities, they   
were still machines, nothing in comparison to the value of a human   
life.   
  
Emma had been taught reverence for life at an early age, beginning with   
the love for the special child who was her baby brother. It would have   
been so easy for Zarina Sheen to have aborted the fetus diagnosed with   
a genetic neurological defect - but she had not, and the Sheen family   
would not have traded their blessings during six short years of   
Gainard's life for anything in the universe. As a result, Emma valued the   
preservation of human life above all else - above mobile suits, or war   
against the Zeons, or even stamping out the AEUG.   
  
Now, human lives and emotions were being held hostage to machines.   
Emma closed her eyes in shame at being a party to the actions of a   
low-life like Colonel Ohm. How had they come this far?   
  
What the people on the bridge did not realize was that, in the sudden   
scramble to get a better look at the monstrous hostage situation played   
out in deep space, one of the communications officers had tripped the   
switch to the ship-wide public address system. Forra's quote from Ohm's   
dispatch regarding the capsule had thus been broadcast with fatal   
clarity to everyone - including Camille, who had been walking aimlessly down   
the passageways in an effort to sort himself out.   
  
  
  
Camille's blood froze in his veins, then anger, white-hot, shot through   
him, pushing him into a sprint for the lifts leading to the Agama's   
mobile suit dock. The ship's engineers, themselves stunned by the swift   
turn of events, were caught flat-footed by Camille's sudden eruption   
into the hangar. Not that they could have stopped him, even if they   
wanted to: the young man was possessed of the strength that comes with the   
hysterical need to rescue one who is loved more dearly than life itself.   
  
Tears were streaming down Camille's face as he commandeered a Gundam   
Mark-II, slamming himself into the cockpit and running through the   
start-up routine with a swiftness that was just barely within the borderlines   
of reason.   
  
"Let's go, let's GO!" he screamed at the engineers, who simply looked   
at each other with heavy hearts, even as they set up the launch   
parameters for the boy. Many of them were married, and Camille had become a   
'pet' of theirs from all the hours he had spent hovering around them.   
  
"Easy, easy, boy. . ." drawled the deck officer, double-checking the   
parameters Camille had sent into the engineering mainframe, and making   
small but vital corrections to the figures. "You'll be no good to your   
mama if you can't even get out of the ship! Breathe, boy, BREATHE. .   
.and let us help you!"   
  
The deck officer's calm words put a mild damper on Camille's temper,   
but just barely. One thought kept keening through his mind in an urgent   
refrain. "Mom. . .please, hang on, Mom. . .I'm coming to get you. .   
.I'll save you. . ."   
  
  
Finally, the Agama's engineers opened the docking bay doors and watched   
as Camille launched his Gundam into the darkness. By unspoken   
agreement, they waited for him to get well on his way before finally contacting   
the bridge.   
  
"Commander Forra, Engineering here. One of the Gundams is loose."   
  
"WHAT!!!" Forra's roar deepened the silence that already shrouded the   
bridge. "Explain!"   
  
"It was the Vidan boy, sir. He's taken one of the Mark-II's."   
  
"Did I not specifically declare those Gundams off-limits for the   
duration of this voyage? Why didn't you stop him?"   
  
"As if we could, sir." The deck officer's voice was calm - he had   
faced down many a senior officer in his day, including Forra, and both men   
knew it. "It was either let him go or watch him blast a hole through   
the side of the Agama."   
  
"Damn!"   
  
Overcome by shock and disbelief, Emma could no longer find it in   
herself to remain still, and began moving towards the bridge exit. There was   
a mobile suit in the mini-dropship. Maybe she could help Camille. .   
.or something. . .   
  
"Hey! You're not going anywhere!" cried the burly security officer who   
suddenly blocked her way, grabbing her upper arm in a painful grip.   
Emma cried out, and Forra glared at the man until he released her.   
  
"State your intentions, Lieutenant. Remember that you are, for all   
intents and purposes, an enemy officer on board my ship. Where did you   
think you were going?"   
  
"Sir. . ." Emma blinked back tears of frustration and rage as she   
rubbed at her arm. "My mini-dropship has a mobile suit. I thought I could.   
. .I want to help Ca-, I mean, young Vidan. Sir."   
  
"Do you expect us to believe that?"   
  
Emma hung her head for a moment, then lifted it to meet Forra's   
furious, wary gaze head-on.   
  
"I know it's too much to ask, sir," she said, her voice low and urgent,   
the same voice that had won over a suspicious Camille in his cell on   
Gryps not long before. "I thought I was fighting for a just and   
honorable cause. I was wrong. What I've heard - what I've seen - those   
monsters out there don't stand for what I believe in any more. That my own   
commander would stoop so low as to hold a civilian hostage for the sake   
of victory. . ."   
  
"Are you sure you want to do this? It would be easier for you to just   
remain as a hostage on this ship. Better than being branded a traitor   
by your people."   
  
"I'm sure, sir. Quite sure," said Emma, glancing back at the on-screen   
display. "There's more to Colonel Ohm than dangling a hostage in plain   
sight. My instincts tell me there's a trap in there somewhere. If I   
can spring it, all the better for your men."   
  
The old Commander and the young Lieutenant stared at each other for a   
long moment. Then Forra nodded, allowing Emma to take off at a run,   
then sighed as he turned his gaze back to the situation at hand.   
  
Different sides, but thinking much alike, he mused. There was   
something about Emma that invited trust, and indeed it was worth her very life   
if she came out on the wrong side of the conflict. So he had trusted   
her.   
  
But doubt continued to niggle at the back of his mind. . .   
  
[Deep space, within the radius of the Alexandria]   
  
Camille fired the boosters to maximum, shooting towards the Alexandria   
in the Gundam Mark-II, ignoring the ongoing conflict between Quattro's   
Rick Dias and the enemy Zaku piloted by Lyla Mira Lyla.   
  
"Mom. . .I'm coming. . ."   
  
Had it been anyone else, perhaps Camille would have taken the time to   
scan the area before charging recklessly through the enemy perimeter.   
Had it been anyone else, it might have occurred to the blue-haired lad   
that getting to the capsule was just too easy.   
  
For all his independence, Camille adored his brilliant, gentle mother.   
He had seen how she had suffered when news of his father's mistress   
Marguerite had become public knowledge; yet she refused to add to the   
scandal by asking for a divorce, though it was perfectly within her right   
to do so. She had raised Camille to respect his father, without making   
excuses for his behavior. Now, she was a captive of the technology she   
helped to create, and Camille *had* to get her away.   
  
Thus, he failed to see the betraying sparkle of a Titans-issue RMS-06   
Zaku II, lurking in the shadows cast by the Alexandria. It hovered into   
the perfect sniper's position, preparing to strike at the approaching   
Gundam by sending a killer shot into the cockpit.   
  
"Come on. . ." muttered Jerid Mesa, the Zaku's pilot. "Come home to   
mama. . .that's it. Just a little more. . ."   
  
Camille hurriedly unfixed the restraints binding the capsule to the   
Alexandria's crane, desperate to bring his precious cargo safely back to   
the Agama. Holding the capsule between his hands, he put the Gundam into   
a turn away from the battle cruiser - just as Jerid pulled the trigger   
of his Zaku's beam rifle.   
  
The beam of concentrated energy flashed over the Alexandria,   
registering in Camille's peripheral vision, making him hesitate a mere   
millisecond. Just a millisecond, and then suddenly the capsule in Camille's   
hands exploded in the vacuum of space, gone in a white-hot flash of light.   
  
Stunned, Camille looked down uncomprehendingly at the empty space   
between his hands where the capsule had been. Gradually, the events replayed   
themselves in his mind: the flash of light on the edge of his vision.   
The capsule exploding. Then, nothing. NOTHING. . .   
  
screamed Camille's mind to his frozen body,   
  
But she *was* gone, realized Camille at last, beginning to accept the   
mute testimony of the emptiness surrounding him. Nothing to show that   
Hilda Vidan, engineer, wife, and loving mother, had ever existed.   
Nothing left her at all, but the memories in a son's broken heart.   
  
The Gundam's head slowly reared upwards and caught sight of the Zaku   
hiding in the shadows. For a long moment, the two mobile suits stared at   
each other. Camille felt his breathing quicken, the cold sweat that   
broke out all over at the sight of the enemy. His hands shook as denial.   
. .grief. . .and above all, a killer fury, raced through his blood.   
  
The cry of a wounded beast echoed throughout all open communications   
frequencies as Camille charged at Jerid's Zaku. The sound was enough to   
strike terror into the hearts of battle-scarred veterans, recognizing   
it as death on the wing; it caused console operators on the Agama and   
the Alexandria to blanch in panic and Jerid to sneer in recognition.   
  
"Ohoho, girly-boy! We meet again! You're not going to get away with   
humiliating me this time, you fricking faggot!"   
  
Half-blinded by tears of rage and sorrow, stirred to near-madness by   
Jerid's taunt, Camille went straight for the Zaku's weakest points. A   
wild blow to the Zaku's head knocked out Jerid's visual systems - and   
most of the other pilot's self-confidence along with it. Unprepared for   
the ferocity of the Gundam Mark-II, it was all Jerid could do to   
maintain control of his Zaku.   
  
Camille, however, was beyond caring. His Gundam rained punches down on   
the hapless Zaku as though the two mobile suits were in a streetfight   
on one of the colonies. Jerid Mesa was *definitely* in need of   
assistance, which he received as Lyla Mira Lyla broke off her fight with   
Quattro, firing at the Gundam in an effort to distract Camille from his   
single-minded pursuit.   
  
By this time, Emma's own Gundam Mark-II had reached the scene, and the   
young Titans officer felt her blood turn to ice at the blind fury   
displayed by the gentle young man she first met in a prison cell. Together   
with Quattro's Rick Dias, she tried to pull the berserk Gundam from its   
prey while trying to dodge Lyla's fire at the same time.   
  
Somehow, they managed to pull the two mobile suits apart for a moment -   
and it was all the time Jerid needed to flee from battle back into the   
Alexandria. Such was Camille's rage, however, that he managed to slip   
from the grip of both Quattro and Emma, charging head-on into the   
covering fire provided by Lyla for Jerid's escape.   
  
Emma followed mere seconds behind Camille, and was reaching out to pull   
him back and haul him towards Quattro, when Lyla's arm shot out and   
clamped over the Gundam in a hold that meant business. Lyla held off the   
red Rick Dias with several well-placed bursts of covering fire as she   
backed into the Alexandria.   
  
"Sheen!" Lyla's voice crackled over Emma's comm link. "Get your butt   
over here and place this idiot under arrest! The charges are assaulting   
a Titans officer and conspiracy with rebel forces against the Earth   
Federation!"   
  
Emma hesistated the merest fraction, then realized if she was to help   
Camille, there was no choice but to obey the orders of a superior   
officer. Quickly she pushed to the back of her mind the memory of the   
trusting look on Commander Forra's face, and the promise she had made him   
before leaving the Agama.   
  
I want to help. . .   
  
As Emma restrained Camille from wreaking further damage, her heart   
cried out in protest at the way this must all look to Quattro and those   
watching the Agama's viewing screens. . .dragging an innocent boy to   
goodness-knows-what fate.   
  
she thought, sorrow washing   
over her.   
  
Quattro cursed under his breath as he watched Emma and Camille   
disappear into the Alexandria. Damn. Recaptured, and a Gundam along with him.   
  
"Let's move out," he barked into his comm link, and withdrew to the   
Agama, which speedily left the area to the possession of the Alexandria   
and its sorely-depleted force. Quattro noted with grim satisfaction that   
even shooting wildly, Camille had managed to target a number the   
Alexandria's escort ships. It would be a while before the task force would   
be fit for duty again.   
  
[The Alexandria - Docking Bay]   
  
The Titans crew manning the Alexandria's mobile suit docking bay had   
their hands full extracting Camille from the Gundam's cockpit. In spite   
of all he had gone through in the past few minutes, there was still a   
lot of fire in the young man.   
  
At some point in the tussle, however, reason began to assert itself.   
Camille soon realized that he had no choice but to surrender to superior   
numbers, and allowed himself to be cuffed and hauled at gunpoint   
towards the ship's brig.   
  
Of course, with their prisoner cuffed and unable to defend himself, it   
was a foregone conclusion that the Titans escorting Camille would not   
be content to merely walk him to his cell. Oh, no.   
  
---   
  
"You AEUG creep. Going after Lieutenant Mesa a second time!" exclaimed   
one officer, kicking Camille's butt and sending him sprawling face-down   
as a horrified Emma watched from the end of the hall.   
  
"Just after we took care of you at Green Noah 2," taunted another,   
kicking Camille in the ribs, galvanizing Emma into action. She began to   
run towards the trio, even as the second officer aimed his boot into   
Camille's ribs. "You never learn, do you? But we'll be paying you another   
visit while you're in the brig, and. . ."   
  
"STOP IT!"   
  
The officers turned at the fury in Emma's voice, and found themselves   
facing an avenging angel, breathing hard from her sudden sprint.   
  
"That will be *enough*," she ground out fiercely, and there was no   
questioning the authority in her voice. "Get back to your positions, this   
instant!"   
  
The officers gulped visibly. "Uhhh. Yes, ma'am!"   
  
Emma watched to make sure the pair were well down the corridor before   
she turned her attention to Camille, curled up at her feet. Immense   
sadness filled her eyes as she bent down towards him, and he could hear   
the sigh in her voice as helped him into a sitting position.   
  
"So, we meet again."   
  
"Emma." It was a ragged whisper, and something that was almost a smile   
passed over his features as he repeated her name. "Emma Sheen. I   
didn't forget."   
  
"No, you didn't, Camille." Emma's voice lowered a notch with her next   
words. "I'm so sorry. For - your mother. For all this."   
  
Camille shot a keen look at her as she helped him to his feet and   
offered no resistance as they walked towards the brig. Emma continued, as   
if thinking to herself, her voice now a whisper of sound in the quiet   
hallways.   
  
"I never thought. . .I was taught in the Academy that being part of the   
Titans was something to be proud of. We are the right arm of the Earth   
Federation. Our duty is to protect the Federation from all forms of   
rebellion or uprising. Zeon or AEUG, it doesn't matter. That's our job.   
  
"But after today. . .such dirty tactics. Why?" Emma shook her head   
against the memories of what she had seen. "I don't know if it's worth it   
any more. I just don't know."   
  
The pair paused for a moment so that Camille could lean against a wall   
to catch his breath. The adrenaline rush was fading quickly now, and   
the day's events were crashing down on the young man's spirit.   
  
"You're not thinking of joining us, Lieutenant Sheen?"   
  
Emma gasped as the question struck her to the core. True, she had   
declared her disaffection with the Titans. But to actually turn her back on   
them, openly join the rebels? She had never considered that - till   
now.   
  
"I know how you feel, Emma," said Camille, watching the doubts play   
over Emma's face. "I had the same thoughts once, before Mom -"   
  
Camille's voice broke, then became harsh and cold with his next words.   
They had begun moving down the hallway again, and Emma mourned silently   
for the bitterness sown in the young man beside her.   
  
"I wondered how I could turn my back on everything I had ever known.   
Then your beloved Titans took my mother and shot her out of my arms.   
Just like that. Before that, it was the G-3 gas into 30 Bunch, Side 3.   
Just like that. Innocent people, dead. For what? So that the Titans   
could lord it over everyone else?"   
  
Emma kept silent at the questions she had asked herself but never dared   
to voice aloud, spoken with such conviction.   
  
"Already you doubt. What will it take before you decide to turn   
against the evil?"   
  
Whatever Emma would have said was cut off by the appearance of Jerid in   
the hallway. Somehow Emma managed to keep her face from reflecting the   
deep sense of disgust at the sight of her fellow officer's sneering   
countenance. Then both of them became aware that Jerid was accompanied by   
another man, a high-ranking officer.   
  
Camille's breath hissed as he sucked it inwards upon recognizing the   
familiar handsome features.   
  
"Dad!"   
  
Franklin Vidan looked at his son as if the boy was no more than a   
distasteful example of the insect world.   
  
"You can stand there without a trace of remorse over what you've done?   
I always thought you would stand for what was right. . .since you were   
a little boy, I made sure you knew your duty. . ."   
  
Camille tried to search his father's face for a trace of grief at the   
loss of his wife. "Dad! Mom. . .she's gone. . ."   
  
Franklin made a small impatient sound, waving away this fact as a   
matter of little importance. "I know *that*. But it's none of my concern.   
What I'm worried about is your seeming to have gone over to the enemy.   
. ."   
  
Fury surged white-hot through Camille at this callous dismissal of the   
role Hilda had played in Franklin's life - the way she had made their   
home a quiet place for his work, the lonely hours waiting for a husband   
who never gave her the least token of appreciation - it was just too   
much, and he boiled over once again.   
  
"None of your concern - what do you mean NONE OF YOUR CONCERN? Mom   
made YOU her CONCERN all the days of her life, you - you BASTARD! You   
probably wouldn't care if I died in battle, would you? Just as long as   
the death reflected favorably on your precious reputation. Well, fuck   
you, Dad! Fuck you AND the Titans *AND* your fucking whore Marguerita!!"   
  
Despite himself, Franklin flinched, and seeing it, Camille sneered,   
bitter contempt in his eyes. "Did you think it was such a big secret, Dad?   
Mom knew from the start. . .there were any number of people willing to   
tell her about that bitch. But she never said a word, did she? Oh,   
no. She LOVED you, and she was too CONCERNED about the scandal, damn you   
to hell!"   
  
The slap echoed like a gunshot through the hallway. In the silence that   
followed, it took all of Emma's self-control to keep to attention and   
not reach out to examine the reddening welt rising on Camille's white   
face. A trickle of blood dripped from where the impact had forced his   
teeth to cut into his lip.   
  
Camille slowly raised his head to meet his father's stare with defiance   
burning in his eyes. The older man blinked, once, and his voice was   
frosty as he addressed Emma.   
  
"Lieutenant Sheen. I would appreciate it if you would escort the   
prisoner into his cell immediately. Jerid - make certain all precautions   
are taken to secure him. We don't want a repeat of the Gryps incident.   
Do we?"   
  
Emma felt a chill run icy fingers down her back, remembering her role   
in Camille's first escape. She nodded silently to Franklin, not   
trusting her voice, and taking Camille's upper arm, began moving him in the   
direction of the brig.   
  
"Let's go, girly-boy," snickered Jerid, following behind a sickened   
Emma until they finally arrived at the Alexandria's brig. In silence,   
Emma opened one of the detention cells, and gently urged Camille inside.   
Understanding the sympathy in her touch, he obeyed, and stood quiet as   
she moved swiftly to close the barred door between them.   
  
At her silent gesture, he held out his hands and she released them from   
the restraining cuffs. Her eyes met his for a long moment, full of   
misery and shame. Camille's sudden soft words broke the silence,   
startling her badly.   
  
"Don't worry about me, Miss Emma. I'll be just fine, you'll see. So   
will you. You'd better be getting back to your post, though."   
  
Emma's heart thudded at Camille's suddenly gentle expression, even as   
the uncomfortable thought dawned on her that he *knew*. Knew *exactly*   
what she had been thinking, and how she felt. Which meant. . .   
  
Camille watched Emma draw in her lower lip between her teeth, as she   
processed the realization that the young man standing before her was,   
quite possibly, a Newtype. Emma had vaguely heard of Newtypes, and how,   
like espers, their clairvoyant abilities and physical reflexes were   
heightened beyond normal. But to actually experience first-hand being the   
subject of such abilities - it was unnerving.   
  
Jerid's loud cough jarred the moment, and his pointed look at Emma had   
her beating a retreat in good order. But not without one last look at   
Jerid gloating over the prisoner, all but laughing out loud at   
Camille's predicament.   
  
Murderous hate gleamed out from Camille's eyes. "What the hell are   
*you* laughing at, fool?"   
  
"To put it bluntly? You are one pathetic sight, boy. Though if it had   
been me, I wouldn't have held back from whipping my ass back there."   
Jerid relaxed a little; safe on the other side of the door, he could   
afford to be generous. "But really. I swear on my own mother's grave, I   
didn't know it was your mother in that life support capsule. Honestly,   
I had no idea."   
  
"I know that much."   
  
"You probably do. Newtypes. Tch, I guess your kind is really rare   
among all you spacenoids. Never believed in them, anyway, no matter if you   
kicked my ass back there." Jerid leered at Camille, needling him   
mercilessly. "In any case, you shouldn't be such a mama's boy, you know. I   
saw your record back at Headquarters--winner of the local build-your-own mobile suit competition, fancy that! Son of Colonel Franklin Vidan, you should be working alongside your daddy, with the credentials you got."   
  
Camille bit his tongue against the curses he longed to hurl at Jerid's   
smug face, and contented himself with merely staring at the mocking   
eyes that faced him across the bars of the door. Jerid chuckled, and   
turned away.   
  
"Catch you around, mama's little girly-boy. . ."   
  
The echo of Jerid's footsteps and the complacent mindset of the Junior   
Lieutenant effectively camoflauged the low, passionate whisper that   
vibrated from behind him, as Camille watched Jerid depart at last.   
  
"I swear I'll kill you, you dirty scumbag. . ."   
  
Some hours later, Camille was roused from a fitful slumber by the sound   
of the brig's door opening. The lights had been dimmed for the late   
watch on the Alexandria, and on instinct, Camille forced himself to lie   
perfectly still as the unknown presence moved stealthily into brig -   
towards his cell.   
  
The seconds ticked by as if in slow-motion as Camille heard the soft   
footsteps unlock the door to his cell. . .swing it open just a fraction.   
. .and then approach him where he lay on the spartan bed beneath the   
cell's porthole.   
  
When Camille felt a hand brush lightly over his shoulder, he sprung   
into action like a coiled spring. He grabbed the wrists of the stranger   
and twisted himself off the cot so that the other person was pinned   
beneath his weight.   
  
A soft "OOOF!!" came on the heels of the realization that Camille's   
captive was female. And as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, his face   
flamed as he realized he was straddling the slender body of Lieutenant   
Emma Sheen.   
  
"EMMA!" The exclamation was a strangled whisper - never had Camille   
been so grateful for dim lighting as he hastily removed himself from above   
her. "Dammit to hell, you *scared* me!"   
  
"Oh, you hush!" came the equally strangled whisper as Emma sat up,   
heart pounding and face equally warm. "My fault entirely for sneaking up on   
you like that. . ."   
  
"What are you doing here?"   
  
"Surely it doesn't take Newtype abilities to figure this out?" Emma's   
voice was tart in a way that both Colonel Bright Noah and Commander   
Quattro would have enjoyed hearing. "We're getting off the Alexandria and   
returning to your ship!"   
  
"Yeah, like maybe we can just walk out in plain sight of everyone. . ."   
  
"Which is why I brought these," retorted Emma, reaching for a bundle   
that had been tossed aside when Camille had tumbled her to the floor. She   
handed it to Camille, who opened it to discover a fresh Titans uniform,   
down to the boots. He glanced from the clothes to Emma, then a teasing   
glint flashed in his eyes.   
  
"Well. That certainly solves the problem. You sure these will fit   
me?"   
  
"I'll help you to get out of here, but assistance with those clothes is   
something altogether different," hissed Emma, moving swiftly to the   
door of Camille's cell. "I'll keep an eye on the brig door while you   
figure out how to look like a proper officer, MISTER Vidan!"   
  
A low chuckle followed her as she took her place at the brig's entrance, listening for stray footsteps. Behind her, Emma could hear the sound   
of rustling clothes and forced herself to think of the task ahead   
rather than risk a glance behind her.   
  
"How'd you get past security?"   
  
Camille's voice made Emma jump a little, then she replied softly, "It's   
my shift for this section of the Alexandria tonight. Which means, I   
*am* security. Not that there's anything to safeguard in this section,   
really. . ."   
  
"OK, will I do?"   
  
Emma looked back and ran appraising eyes over Camille, standing in the   
light shining from the porthole. The uniform fit him perfectly, she   
thought, allowing herself a moment to admire the fine figure he made in   
the scarlet material.   
  
"You look just fine," she said at last, beckoning him forward. "Now,   
come on. It's time to get this show on the road!"   
  
They slipped out of the brig and through the silent hallways of Emma's   
watch with little difficulty. As they approached other corridors, they   
slowed their steps and pressed up against the shadows, Camille's cap   
drawn firmly over his fine features to shield them from careless eyes.   
  
They made it to the Alexandria's mobile suit docking bay without   
incident, and breathed a joint sigh of relief to see that the area was clear   
of interference. Taking the lead, Emma gestured for Camille to take an   
available black Gundam Mark-II. After what she had seen him do to   
Jerid, there was no question but that Camille knew how to pilot a mobile   
suit.   
  
As they each went through the start-up checklist, Emma glanced over at   
the mobile suit Camille had chosen, and stifled a small sigh. Like   
Jerid, she had taken the time to review Camille's credentials. But where   
Jerid saw a nerd, Emma saw someone gifted beyond imagining.   
  
All that inherited talent, and a Newtype, as well, thought Emma, as she   
completed the start-up checklist. One could almost be jealous of such a   
combination, until one remembered the utter loss in Camille's eyes as   
he gazed on Franklin Vidan's heartless disregard of his wife's death.   
  
[Aboard the Agama's bridge, as the escape attempt gets underway]   
  
"It sounded like a good idea at the time, but now I'm not so sure. Do   
you think she'll come back with Camille?" Commander Brex Forra sighed   
heavily, his brow creased with worry. Across from him, Commander   
Quattro nodded reassuringly.   
  
"I'm pretty sure this Titans officer - you said her name was Emma   
Sheen? - yes, I'm sure she will defect, and bring Camille with her," he said   
in his quiet way. "From your description, her disgust at Ohm's actions   
regarding Mrs. Vidan sounds real enough. I, myself, sensed her   
hesitation to participate in Camille's arrest. Give her a chance, Forra, and   
she'll prove to be one of the AEUG's best assets."   
  
The AEUG leader merely nodded his agreement. His eyes were fixed on   
the view from the Agama's bridge - a panorama of the vastness of outer   
space. Would there ever be a time, he wondered, when Earth and its   
colonies would be liberated from the oppression posed by the Titans, to   
shine independently like the stars surrounding the Agama? It was a thought   
much on Forra's mind of late.   
  
First Mate Henken's voice drew the attention of the men at the top   
level of the bridge. "Sir, we seem to have a situation developing here.   
We've picked up two Gundam Mark-II's on the Minovsky radar, heading this   
way."   
  
"Status?" snapped Forra, and Henken shook his head in puzzlement.   
  
"They don't appear to be hostile, sir. In fact, it appears that they   
are trying to avoid pursuit from a third party."   
  
Quattro frowned as he picked up on one. . .no, make that two voices,   
breathing heavily and tense with the effort of evading their pursuer.   
Camille's voice, and a woman's.   
  
"Henken, get the Rick Dias ready, will you?" Quattro pushed his   
sunglasses up the bridge of his nose in a familiar gesture. "It seems that   
young Vidan and Lieutenant Sheen are in need of a rescue. Commander   
Forra?"   
  
"Do what you must, Quattro." Forra nodded, no longer surprised that   
Quattro's prediction had come to pass. "We need those Gundams - but not   
half as much as we need their pilots."   
  
"Understood, sir. Henken, are you sure there's only one mobile suit in   
pursuit?"   
  
"Aye, Commander. The Minovsky rader has a definite fix - just one   
mobile suit in pursuit."   
  
"Very well. I'm going in."   
  
The sight of the Agama floating serenely in space was a blessed relief   
to the two fugitives from the Alexandria. They were about 800 meters   
away from safety - too long a distance when trying to dodge pursuit from   
Federal Forces ace pilot, Lieutenant Fourth Class, Junior Grade, Lyla Mira   
Lyla.   
  
Lyla was piloting her RMS-117 Galbaldy-beta, and easily dodging the bursts of   
beam rifle fire from the younger pilots. Her accurate fire forced the   
fleeing pair to stop and take a stand, with the Agama and the help it   
offered so tantalizingly close, but still too far to provide assistance.   
  
"Lieutenant Sheen," came Lyla's voice over the comm link, almost   
regretful. "What on earth did you eat today to set you off like this?   
Assisting in the escape of a prisoner. . .running off with two of our   
Gundams. I'm *so* disappointed in you, we could have been good together,   
fighting against the AEUG."   
  
"Lyla. . ." Emma spoke breathlessly into her comm link while at the   
same time dodging enemy fire, "This is a matter of conscience. I have to   
do what I have to do - and following the Titans' agenda isn't it. I   
always thought human life was more important than defeating   
anti-Federation groups. . ."   
  
"But of course it is, dear girl! But some sacrifices must be made in   
order to protect human life, yes? This is for the glory of the Earth   
Federation - or have you completely forgotten what you're supposed to be   
fighting for, Emma?"   
  
"It's precisely because I haven't forgotten that I'm doing this, Lyla.   
The moment I left the Alexandria, I considered myself finished with the   
evil that now exists in the Titans, an evil that I will fight to ensure   
it will never exist again."   
  
Emma aimed her beam rifle carefully at Lyla's mobile suit and swallowed   
hard. Only one shot left in this thing. Have to make it count. . .   
  
A white arrow of light traced itself over the dark sky, to pass   
harmlessly past the Galbaldy-beta. Lyla's voice came over the comm link once   
again, and this time it was cold and hard, without any trace of emotion.   
  
"You are truly a fool, Emma Sheen. Finished with us, you said? That   
you certainly are going to be, once I teach you what it means to go   
against the will of the Titans. . ."   
  
Camille saw the flash of light heralding the launch of a beam rifle   
shot, and swooped down on Emma's Gundam, pushing her out of the trajectory   
of the missile. His Newtype-heightened reflexes were fully in play   
now, allowing him to remove himself from the point of impact in   
split-seconds.   
  
A swift turn to face the enemy, and Camille reached behind him, feeling   
for the handle of the beam saber and activating the weapon. He charged   
at Lyla's mobile suit, only to find his attack blocked by her own beam   
saber. An experienced pilot, Lyla found it easy to read Camille's   
moves, agile though he was, and easily blocked every stroke of his beam   
saber.   
  
As the fight pushed through to a stalemate, Camille barked to Emma over   
the comm link: "Now's your chance, Emma! Make a break for the Agama!   
I'll. . .handle. . .this!"   
  
"But. . .!"   
  
"Just GO, Emma! NOW!"   
  
Reluctantly, Emma turned her Gundam away from the battle and raced for   
the Agama at top speed. Fear and worry clutched at her heart - Camille   
was still a boy, untutored in battle, never mind that he could pilot a   
mobile suit and was a Newtype into the bargain. He was up against Lyla   
Mira Lyla, a Federal Forces ace with an impressive record of kills. The idea   
that Camille might soon be another statistic on Lyla's record sent a   
chill through Emma's soul.   
  
As she neared the Agama, Emma gasped audibly at the amazing sight of a   
familiar bright red AEUG mobile suit emerging from the ship's docking   
bay. She recognized it as Lyla's previous opponent and held her breath   
as it sped by her on its way to. . .yes, it was actually going to help   
Camille!   
  
Hovering in space, Emma watched as the Rick Dias slashed away at the   
Galbaldy-beta, giving Camille breathing room and a chance to recover. She   
lifted up a silent prayer as she saw the black Gundam, twin of her   
own, join with the Rick Dias in driving Lyla's Galbady-beta backwards.   
  
Lyla was furious, and put up a desperate fight against the two Gundams,   
but soon realized that the odds were truly against her favor.   
  
"Fuck you," thought Lyla furiously, as she was driven father and   
farther backwards from the Agama with every beam saber thrust. "You may win   
this battle, but the war is far from over. When I see you AEUG assholes   
again, you're dead meat."   
  
With that thought, Lyla dropped down several hundred feet, then   
launched herself back in the direction of the Alexandria, out of the field of   
battle. She would not see the way the Rick Dias nodded to the black   
Gundam, acknowledging Camille's presence within the mobile suit, then   
gesture for it to precede it towards the Agama. Neither would she see the   
happy tears of relief as Emma watched the men speeding towards her, or   
hear her let out her breath on a half-sob of relief. Everything would   
be all right, now...   
  
"I'll take them down, if it's the last thing I do," seethed Lyla, then   
a sudden thought splashed over her like ice. "A red mobile suit...with all the ferocity of the 'Red Comet', Char Aznable himself. Could it possibly be...?"   
  
On the bridge of the Agama some time later, there were no such   
questions as those plaguing Lyla Mira Lyla. A battle had been won, and with   
it, a respite from the unceasing conflict that made up the lives of the   
Agama's crew. For now, they were alone in clear space, and a general   
sigh of relief swept through the ship as Commander Forra ordered a   
stand-down from the previous "Red Alert" status.   
  
Forra swung his chair towards the lift as its doors hissed open,   
revealing Commander Quattro, Camille Vidan, and Emma Sheen. All of them had   
managed to wash and change into fresh clothes - which in Emma's case   
meant civilian clothing until such time as the ship's stores could find   
something to fit her lithe figure. Camille, too, had changed out of the   
borrowed Titans uniform into regulation AEUG clothing, and stood   
solemnly beside Quattro.   
  
Forra's eyes sought out and found Emma, who had hung back hesitantly.   
Despite everything, she felt miserable over her part in the chain of   
events that had led to such tragedy for Camille and to his arrest.   
  
"Lieutenant Sheen," rumbled Forra gently, and with high color in her   
face, Emma stepped forward from behind Quattro's reassuring bulk. "I see   
you made good on your promise to help us, after all. Thank you for   
helping return Camille to us."   
  
"I. . ." stammered Emma, suddenly becoming aware that the stares   
directed to her from all corners of the bridge were friendly and not   
suspicious, accepting of the choices she had had to make, and not condemning   
her for them. "It was the right thing to do, Commander. The least I   
could do."   
  
"You've done more than we could ever hope to repay, Lieutenant. But   
what happens to you now? You're a traitor to the Titans cause now. Did   
you leave family behind. . .?"   
  
Emma smiled, a half-sad smile, and shook her head. "Not much family,   
Commander. And what little there are, are safe from the Titans, so long   
as I don't try to contact them."   
  
Quattro's eyes met Emma's, and their expression was kind. "We'll find a   
way to let them know you're all right, Emma. That much, at least, we   
can do for you."   
  
Emma nodded gratefully, then turned once again to the commander.   
Squaring her shoulders, she drew herself to attention and said in a clear and   
confident voice, "Commander Forra, Emma Sheen, late of the Titans   
Force, respectfully requests permission to report for duty."   
  
Forra's eyes twinkled merrily, although his voice was crisp as he stood   
and saluted Emma, who returned it as if she were still in uniform.   
Indeed, a perfect example of what an officer should be, thought Forra.   
  
"Permission to report for duty, granted, Lieutenant Commander Emma   
Sheen," he said, and a gasp ran across the bridge crew at Emma's rise in   
the ranks. As a Commander, she would be allowed to fly on equal footing   
with Quattro himself - truly a great honor.   
  
No one was more aware of this than Emma herself, who stared wonderingly   
from Forra to Quattro, who smiled faintly and nodded. Forra continued,   
"I have it on good authority, my dear girl, that you will be a valuable   
asset to the AEUG. Welcome aboard the Agama."   
  
From there, the bridge erupted into a long-needed celebration, as Emma   
was warmly embraced by both AEUG Supreme Commander Brex Forra *and* ace   
pilot Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina. She was literally passed   
from crewmember to crewmember for hugs and handshakes - and even the   
security officer who had bruised her arm with his crushing grip welcomed   
her with enthusiasm, slapping her on the back.   
  
Yet in the midst of all the happiness surrounding Emma's welcome, she   
spared a glance towards Camille, staring silently off into the view of   
space on the main screen. Poor lad, she thought, before she was caught   
up and ushered off the bridge to meet the rest of her new "family".   
  
The merrymaking faded around Camille, lost in thought about how his   
whole life had turned around in a matter of a few days. For better or   
worse, he didn't know for sure. The only thing he was sure of was that   
these troubles were only the beginning of a far different life than he had   
ever known.   
  
As he sat staring at the stars, he thought of his lively girlfriend Fa   
Yuiri and wondered what happened to her after that Green Noah 1   
incident...   
  
"Fa..." he thought, "Please wait for me..."   
  
  
  
To be continued   
---   
  
Hi kids! Okay, okay, so the Evangelion part still isn't being written.   
Please be patient, I'll get to it *in time* as the story progresses.   
  
It's a gloomy Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 21, 2001 actually) as I finish   
writing this and honestly I feel kinda burned out. I think I'll get to   
type Chapters 3 and 4 as soon as I kinda regain my energy and actually   
start being *creative* for the first time. ^^;   
  
Z Gundam fans may notice also that the events portrayed here are VERY   
different from those in the original Z Gundam TV series. Well, I've only   
watched up to Episode 2 so far and the rest, I left up to a Z Gundam   
synopsis page (I forget the URL, I'll put it here as soon as possible) so   
it's kind of my fault too.   
  
Till next episode, "you'll see the tears of time."....   
  
P.S. I would just like to take this time to thank the few humble people   
who were responsible in the help of making this fic in its most presentable   
form:   
  
- Mrs. Cindy Genato (cindygenato@cheerful.com) for volunteering to beta-read   
this piece of trash for me. Thanks be to you, old friend! Regards to your   
husband, by the way! :p   
  
- Jean Pierre Domingo (kaiser_reinhardt@yahoo.com), my college schoolmate and   
the bestest friend anyone could ever have. He's the one responsible for   
getting me into Gundam in the first place (and learning that Gundam Wing   
ISN'T the only Gundam series out there worth watching...if ever Gundam Wing   
*is* worth watching at all...UH-UH, no flames, please!   
  
- Rachel Grey (elfbard@iprimus.com.au), my one and only sweet and loving   
(and lovely!) girlfriend, who's also an Evangelion otaku like I am and   
who has been more than an inspiration for me to make this fic. She's   
also helped in some parts of the fic. Honey, I love you more than you   
will ever know and I just hope someday that we'll finally meet. :)   
  
- Those people from the Gundam Mailing List (gundam@aeug.org) who helped me   
through their wonderful suggestions to me. More power to all of you in your   
dealings with mankind and such. I bid thee and thine good tidings.   
  
- Gainax and Bandai for producing such spectacular anime mecha series such   
as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Gundam. Thanks be to you, folks.   
  
And last, but not the least:   
  
- I would like to thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read my   
work. I really appreciate it and hope by your reading of this, it will give   
me more inspiration to write some more.   
  
C&C's are welcome, flames aren't. 


	2. The Dark Side of the MoonTo the Earth Sp...

And so the Agama, the flagship of the Anti-Earth United Nations Government (hence called the "AEUG"), with its few-but-strong entourage of escort ships makes its course to the main base of the now-infamous Anaheim Electronics, the "La Vie En Rose". It would seem that the Titans had taken a break from pursuing the AEUG that the latter had passed so safely though colonies and Sides without being attacked...   
  
Anaheim Electronics was renowned for the construction of the Gundam RX78-GP03 Physalis in Universal Century 0083--an obvious violation of the Adelaide Treaty which banned the use of nuclear weapons in warfare--and was much more made infamous through their apparent taking of sides in favor of the AEUG this U.C. 0087.   
  
The Agama crew stayed at La Vie En Rose for less than a day and as soon as they had themselves resupplied, soon left to make way for Side 1. Inside the Agama, however, one Camille Vidan was still despondent over what had happened during the few days he had been with the AEUG. He just could not believe his mother would die just like that...not that it mattered anyway, now that he thought of it. Emma, now wearing her trademark green AEUG uniform (Author: not that the AEUG had a standard uniform anyway...) signifying her unconditional defection to the group, approaches Camille and tries to have a conversation with him.   
  
********************   
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover   
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)   
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.   
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.   
All rights reserved.   
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments such as watching "Annie" all day or have Akane   
Tendo or Miaka Yuuki cook for the thief responsible for a WHOLE YEAR.   
heh heh heh. I'm serious, folks.   
********************   
  
[Act 2]   
  
Episode 3, "The Dark Side of the Moon / To the Earth Sphere"   
-------------------   
  
Emma: Hey, Camille? You okay?   
  
Camille: ...mm, huh? Oh, it's you, Miss Emma...   
  
Emma: (raises her eyebrows) What do you mean, "Oh, it's you, Miss Emma..."? Hey, don't look all so melancholy like that! Come on, cheer up. You can tell me what the matter is, hmm?   
  
Camille: Well...it's just that I was thinking about my parents again. Now that I think of it, they haven't really been so good to me for most of my life: they'd rather be with their jobs than shed just a *little* bit of their time with me. Somehow, I don't feel remorse as to why my mother died. One of your buddies--his name was Jerid Mesa, right?--had told me while I was detained back there in your ship not to be so attached to my mother as it would make me look like a baby. (sighs) I guess when he shot that life-support capsule, he was just doing his duty as a soldier on the battlefield...   
  
Emma: Camille... (pats his shoulder) You know, that sounds pretty deep coming from you. I had expected you to take all of this so mournfully but...I guess I was wrong. Heh, you must be expecting me to tell you this, but I've known people who have the same situation as you are.   
  
Camille: (snicker) That's very comforting to know...how can you know what I feel? You used to be with those fricking Titans...   
  
Quattro: It sometimes helps to trust people for what they have got inside, Camille.   
  
Emma: (a bit surprised at Quattro's sudden appearance behind them) Ah, Lieutenant! You were listening in on us...?   
  
Quattro: I...was just passing by, Lieutenant.   
  
Camille and Emma exchange doubting looks for a moment and face the still stern-looking blonde AEUG high officer with sunglasses. Quattro sits down with them and continues on their conversation.   
  
Quattro: Camille, do you know who the "Red Comet" Char Aznable is?   
  
Camille: Of course I know who Char Aznable is, you think I'm that dumb? He fought alongside the Zeon in the One-Year War and sought revenge against the family who took the Duchy of Zeon away from his own family, the Zabi's. I had always thought he was a fool to be risking his life just for revenge...   
  
Quattro: Exactly my point, Camille. You and Char have similar destinies, but in the Red Comet's case, he had to reconstruct what the Zabi family had destroyed...he had to continue his noble father's dream of creating a future for all spacenoids and earthnoids to live in...   
  
Camille: ...whatever. (looks away from the both of them and into space again) But then even though they are what they are, they're still my parents and I'd feel sad if any one of them...well, you know.   
  
Emma: (trying to change subjects) *ahem*, Lieutenant Quattro, why are we headed to Side 1 anyway?   
  
Quattro: (taken slightly aback at Emma's question) Hm. Now that you've mentioned it, it would probably be best if you'd ask the Commander himself. I had only heard just twenty minutes ago that we were to head to Side 1 and never even bothered to ask Commander Brex about it. I would guess, however, judging from the route we're taking, Side 1 is one of the shortest routes back to Earth and into the Federation base at Jabrow.   
  
Emma: I see...ummm, Camille, I've heard you were designing a new mobile suit model? Is this true?   
  
Camille: Y...yeah, more or less. What's it to you anyway?   
  
Quattro: Well, can we see it?   
  
Camille: (shrugs) Well, it wouldn't hurt anyone if I did, right? Let's go to Mr. Astonage's computer and let's see what I've done so far. I think you'd be pretty interested...   
  
Emma: Heh heh, I'd want to see it already! Well, if you had engineered the new design yourself then it would be much more interesting to see, in my opinion. Remember, I've seen your records showing what you've done back in Green Noah 1 and I did say they were pretty much outstanding coming from a boy like you.   
  
Camille: (lightly blushing) Ah...thank you, Miss Emma...   
  
Emma: Naah, but don't go thinking I'm interested in you or anything. I was just complementing your achievements. Besides, I'd like older guys than you! (winks at Camille and nudges him with her elbow)   
  
Camille: Errr...ahem. Well, if that's so...then I'd also like to tell you I don't like old sourpusses like you in the first place. Heh heh heh...   
  
Emma: Ack...you called me a sourpuss? Why you...! (noogies Camille in a friendly way)   
  
Camille, Emma, and Quattro soon head off to the computer of the Agama's head mechanic, Astonage Medosso. Camille shows the two the blueprints of the mechanics and specifics of the mobile suit he designed on Astonage's computer: it had a radical, tapered design and had some of the capabilities and features of the Gundam Mark-II (strengthened armor) and the Rick Dias (exceptional mobility and agility). One of its features was also the capability to transform into a mobile armor that looked like a slightly large jet fighter. Camille had named this new proposed design of mobile suit the MSZ-006 "Zeta" Gundam.   
  
Emma: Interesting...I wonder how it will fare in real-time battles?   
  
Quattro: I'd reckon it would be much useful for the AEUG and would give us an edge over the Titans. However, this "Zeta" is at its prototype stages so we should just observe how it would work first before adding any improvements into it. Camille, I'm afraid you've done a wonderful achievement again.   
  
Camille: Thank you...I guess...   
  
Astonage: Ah, if it isn't our beloved Picasso, Mr. Camille Vidan. Doing another one of your masterpieces on my comp again? Tsk tsk, you should be asking permission from me first but, oh well. I'd think you were such a gifted child, it's almost like you're a Newtype or something. The Zeta truly *is* an extraordinary mobile suit in its time--   
  
Camille: (leers at Astonage who happens to be behind them) Astonage, you don't have to yell it to the whole world. I didn't like it when you guys took me into your ranks just because you suspect I'm a Newtype and I did something commendable in my past, so could you at least please keep it down?   
  
Astonage: (shrugs) All right, since you asked so nicely anyway. Lieutenant Quattro sir, it seems that I'm having some difficulties studying the mechanics of the Mark-II, since Titan mobile suit design is so much complicated than ours. I had suggested to the Commander that we should at least just use only one Mark-II and use the other two as spare parts if ever Unit-03 should need repairs.   
  
Quattro: Well, just do your best, Mr. Astonage.   
  
Astonage: Thank you, sir...   
  
Quattro: Oh, by the way. Is the coffee mixer in the Commander's fixed already? I see you're drinking some fine espresso there...   
  
Astonage: Ah, it was nothing that I couldn't fix. Heh, now we can get to try that new batch of cappuccino that the guys back in the engineering department have brought in two days ago...oh, Chief Petty Officer Reccoa Londo wants to see you, sir. It's about that thing regarding our journey to Jabrow...   
  
Quattro: Hmm, I was right about that Jabrow thing. She can see me anytime she wants.   
  
Camille: (raises an eyebrow and thinks) This Reccoa...is she Lieutenant Quattro's...? (saves his work and takes his diskette away from Astonage's computer) I'll be in my room if any of you need me, all right?   
  
Emma: Okay, just don't make a big deal of the AEUG wanting to use your abilities as a Newtype--   
  
Camille: Gaah, didn't I just tell you guys--ah, never mind! I'm off! (storms off towards his room and unknowingly shoves off a pretty woman in her twenties with short red hair who was just outside the room they were in)   
  
Reccoa: What the...what's *his* problem?   
  
Emma: (shrug) Dunno...   
  
Quattro: What is it you wanted to see me about, Officer Reccoa?   
  
Reccoa: (reads from her clipboard) Lieutenant, it's this Jabrow infiltration operation that we've devised...   
  
---   
  
Back in the Alexandria, however, there was much of the same planning and tactics going on in defeating the AEUG...or maybe not.   
  
Jerid: Goddamn it, woman! I am so sick and tired of your insults! As a Titan, I won't take any more criticisms from a mere Federal Forces pilot like you! Bah!   
  
Lyla: Hmph. I can't help it if you're such a wimp *and* an amateur, Lieutenant j.g. (Author: "j.g." means junior grade) Jerid Mesa. Obviously you've only been trained in piloting a mobile suit in Earth so you're not so used in dogfighting in space...and that's why you were so badly beaten by that AEUG boy last time. Heh, talk about pathetic...   
  
Jerid: Why you frickin' bitch...!   
  
Jerid tried to punch Lyla's lights out, but since they were in a zero-gravity lounge in the Alexandria, Lyla easily dodged Jerid's attack and captured him with a hammerlock and shoved his face forcefully into the floor. A little too forcefully, to be exact, much to the amusement of Lyla's fellow Federal Forces soldiers who happened to be in the room as well.   
  
Lyla: See, you couldn't even stand up to a poor little..."frickin' bitch" like me! I couldn't believe you would be such a loser, I'm wondering why you got into the Earth Federation--or even the Titans--in the first place! Damn!   
  
Jerid: S...sshhhit...   
  
Interrupting this brief lover's quarrel, Titans Lieutenant j.g. Kirkricon Kirkler who just came into the room they were in, tried to peel off Lyla from Jerid.   
  
Kirkricon: Would you two knock it off? Try to reserve that energy for the AEUG next time we make a sortie, okay? Sergeant Jamaican wants an officers' meeting in the bridge a.s.a.p. Haven't you ladies heard the announcement on the P.A.?   
  
Lyla: (releasing her grip on Jerid) All right. Let's go to the bridge immediately. I'll deal with you later, Jerid.   
  
Jerid: (rubbing his chin) Yeah, whatever...   
  
---   
  
In the bridge of the Alexandria, a thin-faced Titans officer with a thick moustache and neatly-combed hair by the name of Corps Sergeant 1st Class Jamaican Danningan was briefing Jerid, Lyla, Kirkricon, and a few other Federal Forces and Titans mobile suit pilots on hand in the Alexandria that the AEUG flagship Agama, its supply ship the Mont Blanc, and their faithful and few mini-battleship escorts, were sighted to have been making way for either Side 1, Side 2, or the moon.   
  
Jamaican: Judging from the route they're taking, it also seems that the AEUG is headed for Earth and into our base in Jabrow, South America. We have resolved that the AEUG would make its first assault on Jabrow just like what the Zeon attempted to do seven years ago. Our plan is to ambush the AEUG as they leave the turning point on one of the colonies at either Side 1, Side 2, or the moon, since our battleships and your Zaku's would easily hide themselves in a small asteroid belt just outside our abandoned large asteroid base Fifth Luna. Is that understood?   
  
Lyla: I'd think it's a pretty good plan, Sergeant. But why should I be assigned to lead an assault force with an *amateur* in my ranks? (stares at Jerid coldly, who was gritting his teeth in anger) I'd think it would be better if--   
  
Jamaican: Lieutenant j.g. Lyla Mira Lyla, the Titans' authority would stand above the Federal Forces authority in these situations so even if I could, I would not grant your request for the reason that you *are* from the Federal Forces. It's Colonel Bosque Ohm's orders and I cannot possibly break his chain of command.   
  
Lyla: (shrugs) I understand, sir. When are we to take our positions in Fifth Luna?   
  
---   
  
Reccoa: ...and that is the plan, sir.   
  
Quattro: I see. Well, I think I better leave you two here because I...sense you two ladies have something to talk about and I have to see the Commander about this. See you both later, ladies.   
  
Reccoa: Yeah...   
  
Emma: Yes sir... (sighs as she sees Quattro walk away towards the Agama's bridge) Well, that was a neat gesture...he's got that regal air with him, you know? He's got a real cute butt too...   
  
Reccoa: Uh huh...I'd agree with you on the "cute" part, though...well, I also came to tell you to umm...please take care of my orchids for me while I'm at Jabrow, okay Emma? Pretty please?   
  
Emma: Hmm...well okay, it's not a big deal for me anyway, at least I have something extra to do than just bum around in the Agama. Besides, I love flowers too, you know.   
  
Reccoa: Really? How interesting!   
  
---   
  
Unknown to the two women, their little girl talk was being monitored at the bridge. Brex and Henken listened to every word the two women would say.   
  
Brex: Okay, now whose bright idea was it to listen in to all this girl talk anyway, Henken? I'm getting all sleepy now!   
  
Henken: Uhh... (looking guilty and beet-red) Commander...it's just that I uh...it's Emma I'm...you know...   
  
Brex: (blinks and shakes his head) Never mind, Henken. Well, she *is* just fresh from her resignation from the Titans and we still can't fully trust her, so this might be--oh, Camille, what a surprise! I thought you were sleeping in your room? You'll need your rest, don't you know that?   
  
Camille: (brushing off something from his eye and scratching his head) Commander Brex, it's just that I was kinda bored so I told myself, oh what the heck, and I went around for a little trip around the Agama for a while.   
  
Brex: I see. Why don't you sit down for a while? We have some snacks on the fridge on the back if you're hungry...   
  
Camille: Eh heh heh, thank you sir. (sits down somewhere on the bridge room and munches on a Twinkie) (thinking) Hmm...I thought they never made Twinkies anymore...   
  
Emma: /...so you're saying that 30 Bunch, that colony in Side 3...we--I mean the Titans--pumped G3 nerve gas into it and killed 3 million innocent inhabitants within the colony? Impossible, G3 was outlawed even before the One-Year War!/   
  
Reccoa: /But it *is* true, Emma. The Titans have so mercilessly killed off 30 Bunch just because it wouldn't comply with Federation rules and regulations...and there was an ongoing AEUG demonstration in the colony./   
  
As Reccoa went on with the story, Brex and Henken exchanged looks and looked like they weren't so surprised at this, but Camille's face showed otherwise. He was thinking, so it's not only when they killed his mother that the Titans have proven themselves so be a bunch of white trash, but also exterminating a whole colony! How horrible must it have been...   
  
Camille: How horrible must it have been...for those poor innocent people...   
  
Brex: It truly is, Camille. Haven't I told you the story about 30 Bunch a long while ago?   
  
Camille: You have, sir...but not in this much detail...   
  
Brex: It's better that Emma knows about it too. Even though she came from the Titans, I would wish that Lieutenant j.g. Emma Sheen would stay with us for good because, seeing her performance in the simulator and in actual combat, she would be an excellent addition to the AEUG. Camille, a war is about to simmer and we'll need a few good men to push our noble cause across...   
  
---   
  
A few hours later, the Agama's navigator, Torres, informs Brex that they will arrive at Side 1 in a matter of minutes...   
  
Torres: ...so I think we should be prepared if any ambush operations by the Titans should arise, sir.   
  
Brex: Right. Lieutenants Quattro in the red Rick Dias and Apolli and Roberto in their own black Rick Diases should be launching by now to escort the Agama and the Mont Blanc and defend it against possible enemy fire. Another horde of GM-II's from the Mont Blanc should cover us and take escort to our dropship with Officer Reccoa Londo inside, but we should still be prepared for what the Titans possibly have prepared for us. They might strike either the Agama or Reccoa as she enters Earth's atmosphere and into the Federal Forces' base at Jabrow.   
  
Camille: How about me?   
  
Brex: You may have to stand by in the Mk-II Unit-03. We may need some backup. (looks at Camille inquisitively) Are you ready for battle, Camille?   
  
Camille: I'd swear if my dad will be ambushing us, I'll be the one to kill him.   
  
Brex: You'd kill your own father?   
  
Camille: This is war...   
  
Brex: (pausing for a moment) I admire your courage. Son, you remind me of someone...but enough of that, get ready to scramble. Lieutenant Emma's out there with a lot of our crew guiding the Agama and very vulnerable so you should be keeping watch over her. Be careful.   
  
Camille: Yes sir. (turns around as he heads off to the mobile suit dock) Oh...and sir, I wouldn't be surprised if everybody on this ship, even you, would be reminded of that someone you mentioned just now. That someone would be the guy who helped the Federation win the One-Year War...that very same Amuro Ray, am I right, sir? I'll be off now...   
  
The old AEUG leader just leaned back on his chair and sighed. He thought deeply about what the AEUG had gotten itself into...and much more. "Camille...that boy...he truly is a Newtype...the second coming of Amuro Ray, even...I just couldn't believe his Newtype ability would be that strong as he read what my thoughts were exactly just now..."   
  
Henken: She surely is good, isn't she, sir? I mean, she warned us of incoming space debris and stray asteroids and all that, and she's good at guiding our ship into safety...   
  
Brex: Hmm? Ah, is it Emma again? Egads, man, you really have taken a liking for that girl haven't you?   
  
Henken: Well...you might say that, sir. Heh heh...   
  
Brex: I'm not surprised. Her expertise in military operations comes from her being a former Titan, and on top of that, she's...pretty attractive too. I'm sure my dead wife would agree with me on that...Jesus, I wonder if those Titans would ambush us...   
  
Henken: I would have to take to that affirmatively, sir. We really are in such a vulnerable position right now as Sides 1 and 2 are neutral, and what's more, there's an asteroid belt just outside Fifth Luna where Titans mobile suits could hide and possibly strike from either a distance or come to us unnoticed.   
  
Brex: And *that's* why I told our men to be cautious at all times. Much more with Reccoa, I'm especially worried for her, she just came to the AEUG this past month...   
  
---   
  
Lyla Mira Lyla fidgeted inside the cockpit of her Galbaldy-Beta.   
  
And usually when she fidgets, she's getting really impatient.   
  
Lyla: Where *are* those stinking AEUG assholes?! I thought they were gonna come here!   
  
The captain of the Bosnia, the main support ship for the Alexandria, spoke to the irate Federal Forces ace through a two-way radio that was being plagued by static.   
  
Captain: Ma'am, uh...maybe if we'd split up into groups and catch them from behind?   
  
Lyla: That's exactly what I'm planning to do! All right troops, let's split up into two. Jerid and I will stay here with the Alexandria and half of our troops. A decoy assault force of GM's led by Kirkricon will have to go ahead of us and take the Agama from behind. They will have to go around Side 1 and hit the AEUG from their blind side. Clear?   
  
Kirkricon: All right, let's MOVE it!!   
  
Kirkricon's Zaku II led the way for his small GM army and take the AEUG from around Side 1. Jerid wiped the sweat off his brow as he anticipated for the right time to ambush the small AEUG fleet, but had much confidence in him as he set his goal on tanning Camille's hide so bad.   
  
Lyla: Well, now that I've taught you the basics of space battle maybe now you could manage for yourself when you fight that boy again, right?   
  
Jerid: Yeah, yeah. I guess so. That pain and suffering you had me go through a few hours earlier weren't for nothing, ya know.   
  
Lyla: Good. Now we wait...   
  
Just as she said those words, the captain of the Bosnia radioed Lyla and Jerid that the Agama and the Mont Blanc were just about six to seven kilometers away from the asteroid belt they were in right now.   
  
Lyla: That's just fine. Let's move out, Jerid.   
  
Jerid: Yeah...I'll teach that boy some lessons in manhood he'll never forget...   
  
And so Lyla's Galbaldy-Beta, Jerid's Zaku II, the Alexandria, the Bosnia, and a small horde of GM's moved out from their positions and carefully and slowly paced through the asteroid belt, avoiding any stray asteroids that would come by their way. It would now have to be a pincer attack, Lyla thought.   
  
Lyla: (thinking) Geez, if it were not for Sergeant Jamaican I would have...never mind. I'll show these Titans jocks what it means to be a Federal Forces soldier. Hmm...I just hope that red mobile suit doesn't come out and hit on me again...he's almost like the Red Comet for crying out loud...but he's not really *that* unstoppable now, is he?   
  
---   
  
Camille: You sure you gonna be all right?   
  
Reccoa: Yeah. Just pray I don't get jet lag when I get to Earth, okay? Besides... (pats Camille's shoulder) ...I've got my little toy gun with me to protect myself with. (shows him a caliber .45 pistol) And try not to be too abrasive next time, hmm? I'll see you on Earth, Camille. Oh, you better get into your Gundam now, we're about to launch, remember?   
  
The blue-haired boy almost blushed the moment Reccoa tapped his shoulder. They both waved at each other as Reccoa closed her dropship's airlock and prepared for launch. "She really is cute when she smiles like that," he thought, and soon dismissed the idea as he moaned at a vision of him getting beaten to a pulp by his own girlfriend Fa. "Gee whiz..."   
  
Everybody in the Agama was scurrying here and there in preparing Camille's Gundam Mk-II Unit-03 for launch as escort for Reccoa's dropship which was headed for Earth. "I dunno what the Commander's thinking, but I guess following the footsteps of the White Base would be a good idea..."   
  
Indeed, AEUG Supreme Commander Brex Forra was patterning itself after the strategy of the former White Base captain, Bright Noah. More or less, it was some kind of a decoy operation that would lead the Titans to think that the Agama would enter Earth in a vulnerable position. Instead, the small AEUG fleet would serve as cover for Reccoa Londo as she would enter Earth's orbit unnoticed and infiltrate Jabrow Base, one of the strongholds of the Earth federation, now reportedly being made a mere weapons supply base for the Titans.   
  
Camille zipped up his jumpsuit and put on his helmet as he boarded the Mk-II Unit-03. In a matter of minutes, after flipping some switches and stuff, the Agama launched Camille's Gundam into space along with Reccoa's dropship.   
  
And in just a few more minutes, shots from beam rifles were all over the place; the Titans had started attacking them. Quattro, Apolli, Roberto, and their small horde of GM-II's retaliated. "This is going to be a long day," Camille thought, panting.   
  
---   
  
Somewhere in a colony in Side 7, two 14-year old children paused for a moment from packing their bags. One of them, a pretty girl with semi-long reddish-brown hair, probably of mixed German and Japanese descent, looked around the room they were in, her eyebrows meeting and her eyes squinting. Her male partner with short black hair, obviously of Japanese descent, was doing the same thing too.   
  
Their heads felt a little like...buoyant, like they were free to do just about anything and go almost anywhere. It was like a feeling of nirvana all of a sudden.   
  
girl: There's that..."feeling" again, Shinji. It's almost like...   
  
Shinji: It can't be, Asuka. It can't possibly be Amuro Ray again...   
  
Asuka: Well, if it isn't, who could that be, baka? Couldn't possibly be the Red Comet! I'd think he's pretty gone now, after seven years and all that...   
  
Shinji: No...it's something else...something...different...   
  
The two children just stared at each other, then continued packing their bags.   
  
---   
  
This little skirmish between a small fraction of the Titans forces and *the* small army of the AEUG itself had ensued for almost an hour now. Quattro, Apolli, and Roberto were shooting down Titans GM's like easy paper targets; but even though they were having a hard time standing up against the AEUG, Lyla, Jerid, and Kirkricon were slowly making their own kills as well among the ranks of the AEUG's small horde of GM-II mobile suits.   
  
The battle had nearly reached its climax when all six opposing mobile suits faced each other in a three-on-three duel. Jerid and Kirkricon were having a hard time fighting against Apolli and Roberto; but since Jerid had some last-minute training in space battle with Lyla earlier, he was more-or-less able to hold his own against the two AEUG lieutenants.   
  
This wasn't to say the battlecruisers weren't involved in the fun, however; the Agama had decimated nearly one half of the Alexandria's Salamis-class support ships and many of the Titans' GM's and it looked like the battle was in the AEUG's favor, although there were also a few of the Agama's own Salamis-class support ships. Sergeant Jamaican was furious as he had lost a lot of mobile suits to the upstart AEUG whose size was only a fraction of the whole population of the Titans--the whole Federation fleet even.   
  
Camille shot down any GM that might come near him and Reccoa's dropship. To his surprise, however, the Galbaldy-beta that was involved in the three-on-three duel had seemingly charged towards him. Camille stood his guard and did his best to defend Reccoa's dropship, which was now preparing for re-entry into Earth. Quattro's Rick Dias soon followed to add support for the small AEUG dropship but did not intefere with Camille's and Lyla's duel.   
  
Lyla: (thinking) He fights like...yes, I'm sure it's that boy I'm fighting again!   
  
Camille: It's that Galbaldy-beta again...looks like I'll have to fight harder this time, I've seen this one fight with Lieutenant Quattro once and I thought he had a pretty hard time with it...   
  
Lyla got onto Camille's frequency and talked to him through the radio.   
  
Lyla: /Is that you again, boy? Don't you ever learn?/   
  
Camille: /What the...? How did you...? Never mind, I'll never let you stinking Titans away this time! After what you did at 30 Bunch, and my mother too.../   
  
Lyla: /What do you mean, "what we did at 30 Bunch"?/   
  
Camille: /You creeps killed off millions of innocent people in that colony with G3 nerve gas! And just because that colony was in Side 3 and had an ongoing AEUG demonstration, you Earthnoid Titan creeps had no discrimination whatsoever and just killed off millions of lives!/   
  
Lyla: /What?! That's impossible! G3 was banned even before the One Year War! Colonel Bosque would never do such a thing! It's way too much like what the Zeon would do! That is far much worse than the biggest lie you AEUG scum would ever produce!/   
  
Camille: /I don't care! You Earthnoids can all just go home and DIE!!/   
  
The Gundam Mk-II Unit-03 starts slashing its way towards the maroon Galbaldy-beta with a beam saber. Lyla was surprised at this and barely dodges Camille's attack. Lyla felt for the handle of her own beam saber and went for the Gundam's head, to no avail. The two mobile suits soon clash "swords" and eventually Lyla's beam saber falls out of her grip, much to her misfortune. She quickly boosted away from Camille and felt for her bazooka. She soon fired at Camille, but it's as if the latter has disappeared from her crosshairs after she had fired.   
  
Lyla: (thinking) My God, he's *fast*! He's almost like that red mobile suit...could he be...a Newtype? It's not impossible, I would have beaten him so easily if it were not...but still, I won't lose to a mere kid...   
  
Back in the Alexandria, Sergeant Jamaican was watching all of this on a little TV screen. He was awed at the reflexes and agility that the AEUG's Gundam Mk-II was displaying against Lyla; he had further concluded that the Gundam's pilot was a Newtype, although he had believed Newtypes were just a myth at first.   
  
Jerid was getting very worried for Lyla. Normally he wouldn't care less, but ever since she had quite effectively taught him a thing or two about battle tactics hours earlier, Jerid had looked up to Lyla as an important mentor, a surrogate big sister even. As he was fighting with the two black Rick Diases, he had managed to see Camille's and Lyla's fight on screen even if just a glimpse and further concluded that that boy from the AEUG has gotten better. He was also worried why Sergeant Jamaican hadn't sent in more reinforcements by now to help his female Federal Forces comrade.   
  
Jerid: /Sergeant, why haven't you sent in more troops?! Lyla's getting eaten alive out there!/   
  
Jamaican: (in a not-so-obvious worried tone) /Calm down, Lieutenant. We're just waiting for the Agama to be within range of the Alexandria's mega beam cannon. Besides, it'll look good on your records if we succeed in doing this./   
  
Jerid: (thinking) I don't give a fuck about my personal records, I'm worried about Lyla!   
  
Camille had some sort of an advantage; he and Lyla were fighting alongside a large abandoned vintage space station and he had managed to hide away from the Titan mobile suit in a very close call. He would have been space dust if he hadn't dodged that bazooka...anyway, he stayed in one corner of the space station and waited for the right time to attack when Lyla would pass overhead.   
  
Lyla: /I know you're in here somewhere, boy...I won't fall so easily to a kid like you!/   
  
And indeed, in a matter of seconds, Lyla passes over Camille without noticing him, signaling him to fire at the Galbaldy-beta with his beam rifle and catch Lyla off-guard. Lyla's mobile suit "tumbled" in space but soon caught its balance again and nearly got the Galbaldy-beta's head hit by the Gundam's vulcan guns had she not dodged the attack.   
  
(Author's note: A mobile suit's "eyes" are actually cameras that help the pilot to "see" outside. The mobile suit's cockpit is actually near or at the "chest" of the MS itself.)   
  
Lyla tried to retaliate with her spare beam saber but through a surge of Newtype force, Camille fired his beam rifle straight at the Galbaldy-beta's cockpit. Lyla felt her whole life passing before her as the shot from the beam rifle hit home and killed her instantly.   
  
Lyla: (sighs with a peaceful smile on her face) Ahh...now I see it all...how could I have been so ignorant? These...Newtypes...really *are* the final stage in mankind's evolution...it's...all clear to me...now...   
  
Jerid went haywire as he saw Camille's beam rifle shot blast through Lyla's cockpit. Had it not been for Kirkricon restraining him and the obvious odds of this battle in favor of the AEUG, he would have gone out and killed Camille himself. He cursed under his breath as he, Kirkricon, and what was left of the Titan and Federal Forces GM's retreated back to the Alexandria.   
  
Jerid: Camille Vidan...I swear I'll kill you if it's the last thing I'll ever do...I WILL KILL YOU!!   
  
---   
  
Seeing that the Alexandria was retreating due to their obvious disadvantage and Reccoa Londo's re-entry into Earth was successful, the Agama soon made its way to Von Braun, a large city occupying almost half of the moon, to meet up with top AEUG officials and financiers.   
  
Camille just curled up inside his room in the Agama and thought about the events of the day. He had never thought he would make such an action as to kill that lady Titans officer whose name Emma had told him was Lyla Mira Lyla, a Federal Forces ace pilot.   
  
Camille: (thinking) Lyla...   
  
Moments later, there was a knock on his door. There were two people looking for him behind it and it looks as if they were looking for him for hours now. The first one was now in his trademark dark sunglasses and red AEUG outfit while the other one was back in her own teal-green AEUG uniform.   
  
Quattro: Could we talk with you, Camille?   
  
Camille: (sounding pissed off) Just a second! I'm doing something here, okay!   
  
Emma: What the hell...? Well, fine! Don't open the door, then!   
  
Camille: (opening the door) What do you want?!   
  
Quattro: Pipe down, Camille. We just want to ask you some questions regarding your battle with Lyla...   
  
Camille: Just leave me alone, willya? I don't wanna answer any of your stupid questions...   
  
Quattro: Hm. Well, sorry I asked anyway...   
  
Emma: Oh, would you just leave me with him, Lieutenant? You're not getting anywhere with an attitude like that!   
  
Quattro just shook his head and left the two of them. Emma shut the door behind her and faced Camille.   
  
Camille: I'm surprised you don't have any escorts anymore like you usually had for the past couple of weeks.   
  
Emma: *Well*, Einstein, if you didn't know by now, I'm now an AEUG officer. Lieutenant Commander Quattro and I just came here to congratulate you on your first kill as far as your standing here in the AEUG is concerned...and to ask you if you felt anything during your fight with Lyla-sempai back there.   
  
Camille: I see another Newtype stereotyping again...look, Miss Emma. Sorry to disappoint you but I didn't feel anything in that fight with Lyla! I was just too lucky to have beaten her like that!   
  
The blue-haired boy just stormed out of his room and into the nearest elevator to his room in the Agama. Emma followed him quickly into the elevator and tried to converse with him some more.   
  
Emma: Hey Camille, wait up! (pants a little as she enters the elevator to the docking bay) Camille, please don't deny the fact anymore that you're a Newtype. You know, you kinda remind me of Amuro Ray. You and him are similar in almost every aspect, except that he has slightly dark reddish-orange curly hair and he looks different from you. I happened to meet him on Earth two years ago when I ran out of gas in front of his home. He's actually a very quiet person if you get to meet him...   
  
---   
  
In the "comfort" of his guarded home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in the United States, a 22-year old Federal Forces Reserve Officer named Lieutenant j.g. Amuro Ray sneezed. He could have sworn he didn't catch a cold that day...   
  
Amuro: *sniff,sniff* Damn, I think somebody's talking about me...   
  
---   
  
Camille: Did he tell you his name?   
  
Emma: No, but I found out soon after I met him, back at New York or somewhere else in the U.S....   
  
As they went out the elevator, Camille soon led the way for him and Emma to do a routine check on their mobile suits. As ordered by Brex himself, Camille's Gundam was finally painted mostly white instead of the standard Titan color black. Without them noticing, Quattro followed behind and listened in to their discussion with a bugging device he had put somewhere near Emma and Camille.   
  
Emma: ...so that's basically it. Personally, Lieutenant Commander Quattro was different from Amuro in a lot of ways, but somehow, they're a little bit alike. I'd also like to cite Amuro's extraordinary character as my inspiration in joining the AEUG's cause.   
  
Camille: Emma, do you think someone in this ship...has a definite similarity in character as the "Red Comet" Char Aznable?   
  
Emma: Y...yeah, but don't you think that's a bit too far-fetched? Besides, I never really thought of it that way.   
  
Camille: (sighs) Then you've already met him.   
  
Emma: Huh?   
  
Camille: Oh, what I meant was uhh...if you'd want to meet him or not, that's it! Heh heh!   
  
Emma: (leers and pouts at Camille) That's not what you said. You said I've already met him. Hmm...   
  
At that very same moment, Quattro gulped and wiped the sweat off his brow.   
  
Camille: (tries to look silly with a big sweatdrop on his head) I didn't say that!   
  
---   
  
In "ancient" times, man's first experience in setting foot on the moon, pioneered first by the Russians and then the Americans, spearheaded by astronauts such as John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, as it was just a mere small step for a man, was considered to be a giant leap for mankind indeed. Hundreds of years after, the space colonization program proposed by the Federated Union of Nations (once called the United Nations), or simply called the "Earth Federation", was proved to be very successful as there was almost no more room on the Earth for its growing human population. The moon was only the first of many proposed human habitations, one of which is now the most commonly accepted, the large cylindrical kilometers-long and wide satellite-like structures called "colonies", and clusters of these colonies were called "Sides".   
  
Although there have been built seven of these Sides (one of which was completely destroyed due to the One Year War of U.C. 0079) for the convenience of mankind, some people still choose to live on the moon, though the moon (or almost 50% of it) was now considered to have been just largely a mobile suit factory...to the current Earth Federation's knowledge, that is. Little did the Federation know that Von Braun, the old city built on the moon, also houses their new thorn in the flesh since the Duchy of Zeon, the AEUG.   
  
At this time, the Agama and its four Salamis support ships were ever so conveniently parked in a hidden hangar somewhere in Von Braun to undergo maintenance as AEUG Supreme Commander Brex Forra, Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina, and other top AEUG officials and financiers, the head of which was a stubble-chinned handsome Japanese man in his early thirties. The AEUG was having this meeting concerning the effective infiltration of the Federation base at Jabrow, South America at a fast-food joint somewhere in Von Braun named "McDaniel's".   
  
(The AEUG had been informed to go to Von Braun prior to this meeting by a one of Quattro's friends, who was also a former Zeon spy, from Side 3 who came to the Agama as it headed out of Side 2 earlier.)   
  
Brex: Well, I must say, I'm very thankful that you have gathered all of us here to talk about what we are to do in Jabrow, Ryouji Kaji-kun.   
  
Kaji: Yes, well, where do we start? Ah, yes. Do you people have any questions regarding our plan?   
  
Quattro: *ahem*. If we do land in Jabrow, which will be any time between now and the next 72 hours, what would be our major demands and actions? Wouldn't it be better if we capture Gryps first, *then* we capture Jabrow?   
  
Kaji: That isn't really a very good idea. We don't know what Gryps is capable of, besides, the Federation won't be so much affected if we do capture it first. We will not really have any political or public support anyway because Gryps isn't under the Federation's jurisdiction. No one would really trust us anyway if we had a colony laser that large; we'd appear as just mere terrorists.   
  
Quattro: Heh, you should have been a politician instead, Kaji-kun.   
  
Kaji: (snicker) Yeah, right, Lieutenant Commander Char Aznable.   
  
Quattro: Please don't call me by that name anymore, Kaji-kun.   
  
Brex: How about one of our partners, the Kalaba Forces?   
  
Kaji: Hmm. The Kalaba are still doing well but they need mobile suits.   
  
Quattro: Well, Commander. Do you think we should help them?   
  
Brex: I definitely think we should, Lieutenant.   
  
All of a sudden there were sirens blaring; an intruder alert was imminent. The P.A. system announced it was a Titan attack on the Agama spearheaded by a maroon RMS-117 Galbaldy-beta and a dark green RMS-106 Zaku II. Brex and Quattro had little need for worry as they, anticipating a possible Titan surprise attack here in Von Braun, had prepared countermeasures. Camille (still piloting the Gundam Mk-II Unit-03), Emma (now piloting Quattro's red MSA-009 Rick Dias), Apolli, and Roberto (still in their own black Rick Diases) were now engaging in battle against a very angry Jerid (Galbaldy-beta), Kirkricon (Zaku II), and three slightly damaged RGC-80 GM Cannons. (Author: see note at the end of this text file.)   
  
Jerid and Camille immediately recognize each other and the former hurriedly and madly charged against the Mk-II. Jerid was experiencing vehement rage against the boy in the Gundam for the death of Lyla. Applying what Lyla had taught him, Jerid had a bit of an edge over Camille this time, using hit-and-run tactics and the moon's surface to his advantage.   
  
Jerid: /CAMILLE VIDAN!!!!! You're the fucking asshole who killed Lyla! I'll kill you with my very own hands, you little motherfucker!/   
  
Camille: /J...Jerid Mesa?! YOU?! Are you trying to avenge Lyla's death?!/   
  
Jerid: /Shut up!!/   
  
Camille: /How would you like it if she found out you're doing this for revenge, you idiot?!/   
  
Jerid: /FUCK YOU, CAMILLE VIDAN!!!!/   
  
While Emma and the others were busy picking off Kirkricon and the three GM Cannons, Jerid and Camille were involved in their own battle and neither bothered to help their respective comrades. The two rivals were engaging into more heated battle as their mobile suits clashed in basic hand-to-hand combat at first, Camille eventually kicking the side of his opponent's head.   
  
Jerid starts taking shots at Camille with his beam rifle but the latter suddenly "disappears" inside a large crater. A little while later, he makes the Mk-II jump, but he does this a little too hard on his boosters so it looks like he's flying over Jerid, who's looking a little surprised by the Mk-II's "flight".   
  
Camille: (sounding very surprised and gasping) WOW! I didn't know I could make a jump *that* high!!   
  
The Mk-II then starts taking shots at the Galbaldy-beta with its beam rifle, to no avail. Dodging Camille's shots, somehow in Jerid's case experience has proven to be superior over a Newtype's abilities. Camille lands on the crater again, this time Jerid hot on his trail. The two continue to fire at each other but both miss, depleting almost all of their beam rifle ammo. Camille makes an attempt to escape and climbs the crater, but Jerid catches up and kncoks the Gundam into the center of the crater again, pulling out his beam saber to finish off his opponent, which Camille blocks with his beam rifle, destroying it in the process.   
  
Kirkricon, however, wasn't having much luck as the three AEUG pilots have managed to finish off his three GM Cannon companions in less than 30 minutes. Three against one was indeed an unfair fight, and the Titan lieutenant had no more choice than to escape.   
  
Kirkricon: /Jerid, we have to fall back for now! We're dead meat if we go on like this!/   
  
Jerid: /Say WHAT?! All of our GM Cannons were destroyed?!/   
  
Kirkricon: /Yeah!! That's why I told you we should fall back, and I mean right NOW, Jerid!!/   
  
Jerid: /Shit...I guess we'll meet again, Camille Vidan. Next time I won't go so easy on you.../   
  
As a farewell gift, Jerid fires the last of his rockets at the Mk-II while keeping his distance, which took Camille by surprise as one of the rockets had destroyed the Mk-II's large shield. Camille chased after him with a beam saber but Jerid had already fled along with his companion Kirkricon. Emma soon catches up with Camille and helps him out of the crater.   
  
Emma: You okay, Camille?   
  
Camille: Yeah, that Jerid sure gave me a hard time back there...is he really that good when you were still with the Titans, Miss Emma?   
  
Emma: Come to think of it, he fought differently than when I last saw him. More like how Lyla-sempai had fought in the old days...   
  
Camille: How do you know about a mobile suit pilot's way of fighting?   
  
Emma: Well, some people can actually determine another's way of fighting when in a dogfight. You know, you should be careful next time especially when you're fighting one-on-one. You might not be so lucky the next time you fight.   
  
Camille: Uh huh...   
  
---   
  
Commander Brex and his motley AEUG crew soon leave after receiving word from observers just outside the moon that the whole Titan fleet which was so annoyingly pursuing them, seeing that their current forces were almost diminished to the point of vulnerability, had totally gone from even touching the moon's surface.   
  
A day or two passes after that incident. Back at Earth, AEUG Petty Officer Reccoa Londo, who had apparently been escorted by a thin, average-looking silver-haired Reuters journalist Kai Shiden, one of the original crew of the infamous White Base of the One Year War and one, along with now Federal Forces Lieutenants Amuro Ray and Bright Noah and others, who has been hailed as the heroes of the One Year War, were making their way in a raft along the Amazon River in finding a secret entrance to the former Federal Forces base Jabrow in South America, now made a mere Titans weapons supply depot. Aside from the danger of being eaten alive by piranhas, Reccoa and Kai worried if there would be any more assaults on them like what they had so luckily fended off earlier.   
  
Kai: You should be more careful next time, miss. I'm not used to these kinds of recon stuff anymore, you know?   
  
Reccoa: Let's just get into Jabrow as soon as possible, Officer Kai Shiden, sir...   
  
Kai: Ohh, you shouldn't be calling me that. As you can see I'm not with the Feddies anymore and... (shows her a moderately large ID) ...I'm with the media now.   
  
Reccoa: Heh heh.   
  
Kai: Gaah, why should we even be chatting now? Come on, I know a shortcut around here somewhere...geez, why do I always fall for cute redheads? I guess I'm such a sucker for ya cuties...   
  
Reccoa: (blushing lightly) I...uh...well, I thank you for that compliment Mr. Kai. Heh heh... (looks up at a plane passing overhead them) You know, that has *got* to be like the fortieth time I've seen a plane pass overhead. Do you think they've been moving stuff around?   
  
Kai: Hmm, I guess so...   
  
Reccoa: Well, since it seems like they're moving out, where do you think the new Titan base will be?   
  
Kai: Dunno actually, that's why I'm here to find out. Lucky I bumped into you...I immediately sensed you were from that AEUG thingy I've been hearing here and there...and speaking of the AEUG, I'd think you're here to spy on Jabrow too, am I correct?   
  
Reccoa: Yeah, but I don't have much time.   
  
Kai: Well, why don't you relay the info to your bosses at Jabrow itself? I think they have this really good laser transmitter there. But then, for now...we have to wait in these woods. Too risky after what those jerks way back there did to us...oh but I won't lay a hand on you or anything! I'm not that type of person, you know! Even though I said I liked cute redheads like you, I'd never...   
  
Reccoa: (raises an eyebrow and wipes the sweat off her brow) Mmmhmm...Kai sir, I never thought you talked *way* too much...   
  
---   
  
The Agama was making its way to Amman, a small military asteroid base (which was named after a city in Jordan, a nation somewhere in the Middle East back in Earth) near Side 3 and home to Quattro. The AEUG stayed clear of Granada, a large Titan asteroid base just in close proximity to Side 3 and Amman itself and made it safely to Amman. Quattro, Brex, Henken, and Kaji were still on the Agama's bridge discussing their positions on the current situation.   
  
Kaji: ...although I'd still think it's pretty ironic that Amman would be located *so* close to Granada.   
  
Quattro: Yes, and it worries us a lot just thinking about it.   
  
Brex: Lieutenant Quattro, is our new support battlecruiser "Radish" ready?   
  
Quattro: I'd think so, sir. The new alloy should be helpful to compliment for the Mont Blanc's faults, as well as improving on the performance as compared to its fellow "Irish"-class cruisers.   
  
Henken: And to think we were so lucky that the Feddies never found out we had customized an "Irish" to our own liking!   
  
Kaji: Yes...the Federal Forces are mostly ignorant of spacenoid activities. Kind of like in the old days when the Europeans were very much ahead of the Americans in terms of technological advances. Well, that said, I'd think history really does repeat itself.   
  
Camille soon caught up with them, with a tired Emma tagging along. Camille seems to be fidgeting around with a green basketball-sized metal sphere with two red dots that passed for "eyes" and a wide "mouth". The sphere seemed to be saying, "Hello, my name is Haro." in a split between a child's voice and a toy robot-like sort of voice.   
  
Emma: (panting heavily) Sorry we're late, Sirs...   
  
Quattro: You're late, Camille. What took you?   
  
Kaji: Errr...Commander Brex, who's this...boy?   
  
Brex: Oh, he's one of our pilots. Camille, this is--   
  
Kaji: Camille, huh. Could you excuse me, sir? (gets in front of Camille) Hey, schoolboy. You're an AEUG pilot, right? Why in the world are you still playing with toys like that?   
  
Camille: (leers at Kaji) Who the hell are YOU? And what's it to you if I'm fixing Haro here?! (drops Haro and attempts to kick Kaji's shin, but the latter dodges)   
  
Kaji: Tsk, tsk. A little hot-headed, are we? (does a sweeping roundhouse kick and trips Camille over) You Newtype delinquent. With that attitude, I'd doubt if you'd even get through *half* of this war!   
  
Camille: Shut up, man!   
  
Kaji: I mean, look at you. You're even late for our meeting! A soldier...a mobile suit pilot...has to be punctual at all times, and with your being late today, you jeopardize your teammates' lives by...by playing around with your toys!   
  
Camille: Why can't I fix Haro?! He might have some information about the White Base--   
  
Kaji: See, you can't even get your priorities straight! Haro may have been Amuro Ray's companion in the duration of his stay in the White Base but that has no bearing on our mission! (does a swinging roundhouse kick to Camille's face and the latter is taken aback by the force)   
  
Camille: (rising up and wiping the blood from his mouth) Ugh...I won't lose to you!   
  
Kaji: Why are you so damn arrogant?! You won't even give an apology for being late! (continues to beat Camille to a pulp to the point of unconsciousness)   
  
Quattro, Emma, and Brex could only watch as Kaji "whipped" the poor boy real good. Quattro stopped Emma as she attempted to stop beating up Camille, who had later woken up at an infirmary somewhere in the Agama.   
  
Apolli: Well, well. It seems as if our little Boy Wonder is awake now...   
  
Camille: (holding his head) Ughhh...what happened...?   
  
Roberto: Heh, that's Ryouji Kaji for you, Camille. He may be a gentleman at times but he'd really hate to see anyone, especially one of our pilots, lazing around like what you did.   
  
Quattro: How do you feel, Camille? (gives Haro to Camille)   
  
Camille: Where the hell are we?   
  
Quattro: We're docking here at Amman for a fly-by and we're about to leave in a few minutes. Our Granada spies tell us it's okay to go with the mission.   
  
Camille: (sitting up and looking at Haro sourly) What the heck happened to this thing? It's...   
  
Quattro: It's damaged beyond repair.   
  
Emma meets Apolli and Roberto as they go out of the infirmary room. She catches Quattro and Camille having a conversation and promptly sits down on a couch in the room.   
  
Camille: Some friends *you* are! Leaving me out there while Kaji was kicking my ass!   
  
Quattro: You are now part of the AEUG, and with that, you are granted a very big responsibility--   
  
Camille: Well, he's not even part of our struggle! What right does he have to beat me up like that?!   
  
Quattro: Ryouji Kaji is a very important AEUG financier--   
  
Camille: Hmph! Anything you say, Quattro...but I'm still not going on this mission!   
  
Emma: (angrily) Now, now. Aren't you being so stubborn again, Camille? What has everyone on this ship been telling you? You *have* to fulfill your duties as a part of the AEUG! Don't you understand?   
  
Quattro: Look, if you're going to be this way then fine. Just don't do it *now*. (storms out the room)   
  
Emma: (sighs and turns her voice into a more calming tone) Camille, look...you're a very important pilot to us. Don't be so self-centered. You know, I think that's why Kaji had to "discipline" you back there. He couldn't tolerate the selfishness of most Earthnoids, but with the fact of you being a spacenoid would add to his prejudice and anger. Camille, just because you're the only kid around here doesn't mean you're all too privileged to do whatever you want...   
  
Upon hearing those words, Camille drops Haro. As it was about to hit the ground, the light-green spherical robot bounced to its "feet" and maintained its balance.   
  
Haro: /How do you do, Camille?/   
  
---   
  
Preparations were being made for the planned assault mission against the Titan base at Granada. Quattro briskly jumped out of the cockpit of his new gold-colored mobile suit, the MSN-00100 "Type 100" or the "Hyakushiki".   
  
Quattro: I think she's pretty ready, boys. You boys better be careful of this mission and don't get mixed up at who or what you're shooting at. Why? Well, as you might well know by now, we have a few of our spies aboard Granada, that's why.   
  
Apolli: Well, it can't really be helped...   
  
Roberto: Is Camille coming along with us?   
  
Quattro: Yes, Emma's taking care of it right now.   
  
Apolli: Why do you think Kaji-san was so angry? He didn't have to beat up on the boy...   
  
Quattro: That boy Camille was being an arrogant idiot.   
  
The blonde AEUG lieutenant soon flew off in the Hyakushiki with Apolli and Roberto tagging behind, still with their black Rick Diases. As they flew out of the Agama and into Granada, a similar group of three Titans Zaku-II's holding guard near Granada detect them and inform the base of the arrival of the three AEUG mobile suits.   
  
Kirkricon: /What the...? A new mobile suit model? Geez, the AEUG sure surprises me sometimes with their dirty tricks...men, tell Sergeant Jamaican to prepare for an invasion./   
  
Titans officer A: /Lieutenant Kirkricon sir, the Alexandria tells us she's prepared for battle./   
  
Kirkricon: /Good. I'll be expecting Jerid to come any moment now...I know he's been waiting for this moment to come. It's really devastating for us to lose pilots like Lyla; we can lose mobile suits but not pilots./   
  
In the Alexandria's bridge, Jamaican recieves word that ten new RMS-108 Marasai mobile suits coming from none other than an Anaheim Electronics factory have arrived at Granada and were ready for launch into the Alexandria for their own utility. Jamaican rubbed his chin in wonder and asked his captain what Anaheim's been up to with giving them ten mobile suits and all.   
  
Jamaican: Don't you think it's too suspicious?   
  
Titans captain: Sir, I'd think they're AEUG sympathizers, sir.   
  
Jamaican: Hmm. No wonder Colonel Bosque wanted Granada so badly...how's everything going so far? Where's Jerid Mesa?   
  
Titans captain: Sir, he will be ready as soon as the Marasai come...   
  
---   
  
Soon enough, Camille caught up with the three AEUG aces in his Gundam Mk-II. He was scratching his head and wondering how did he get himself into this mess in the first place.   
  
Camille: (thinking) Gee whiz...if Lieutenant Quattro had been so less convincing I never would have gone out like this! I don't feel like fighting with those Titan jerks today, dammit! Geez...the last thing I want right now is someone duping me to do something I don't wanna do...oh well, since I'm here now might as well get out there and fight...   
  
Camille: /Hey guys, wait up!/   
  
Quattro: /Hm? Oh, it's you. So you finally decided to make this show a quartet?/   
  
Camille: /Yeah, whatever. So what's the plan anyway?/   
  
Quattro: (sighing) /You haven't been listening to the briefing again, have you? Well, I'll just have to tell you once again. Our mission is to liberate this asteroid base Granada from the Titans and capture as much as we can, making it an AEUG military base./   
  
Camille: /Couldn't we just use our spies here?/   
  
Roberto: /Camille, that's not the point. We have to use brute force to get our point across to the Titans' thick heads--that we are serious and we will not back down any time soon. So, as a result of this, we might gain more supporters for the AEUG, both moral and financial. If you didn't know by now, there are a lot of people right now who hate the Titans more than ever./   
  
Quattro then receives an OK signal from his communications link with the AEUG spies at Granada and the four AEUG mobile suits land on the Granada spacedock. Camille captures a Zaku-II while Quattro's wingmen threaten to blast through the bridge of a Federal Forces battlecruiser with missile guns. Quattro and Camille continue to fight outside of their mobile suits in zero-g environment with submachineguns alongside their fellow AEUG troops; killing many Titans soldiers on the way.   
  
Back in Amman, Emma, in Quattro's old mobile suit, the red Rick Dias, and her small entourage of Nemo's were having small trouble with Kirkricon and his own small troop of Zaku-II's. Somehow, although they were quite a distance away from each other, Camille "felt" Emma's racing heartbeat as she tried desperately to pick off her former Titan comrades.   
  
Camille: ...!!   
  
Quattro: Something wrong, Camille?   
  
Camille: Did you...feel that, Quattro?   
  
Quattro: I didn't feel anything, Camille. Now let's go and make this thing snappy, shall we?   
  
Camille: Right...   
  
Quattro, Camille, and the rest of their AEUG comrades have soon successfully secured the Granada spacedock to the AEUG's favor, but Camille still feels the sensation of imminent danger in his head...another one of those buoyant feelings but nonetheless...there was heavy breathing...a woman's voice, a familiar one...Emma!   
  
Quattro: ...there *is* something bothering you, Camille. Care to tell me?   
  
Camille: (gulping) Quattro, I have a bad feeling Amman is being attacked...   
  
The AEUG Lieutenant Commander had no doubt about it the moment he had heard those words from his young protege; he truly *is* a Newtype more powerful than even he, or Amuro...or even Lalah is. Why hadn't he sensed it earlier? he asked himself.   
  
Quattro: ...Amman being attacked?! Oh, SHIT! Camille, you better go hurry back and protect the Agama... /Apolli, can you hear me? Position yourself in standby mode at the exit, you and Camille are going back to Amman and defend our Agama!/   
  
Apolli: /Roger, Lieutenant!/   
  
Camille floated towards his Gundam Mk-II and flew back to Amman with Apolli tailing behind.   
  
The duel between Emma and Kirkricon had come to a climax: the lady AEUG pilot had luckily hidden her red Rick Dias away from the sight of the Zaku-II in a big pile of space junk floating towards Amman. Kirkricon searched for his rival in the debris and, by his own stroke of luck, finds the red mobile suit attempting to shoot his head off when, unfortunately for Emma, a piece of debris gets in her way as she fires her beam rifle at him. He shoots back with his Zaku's beam gun and, making Emma confused as a result of all the debris flying everywhere, eventually closed in on Emma's rear and cuts one of the red Rick Dias' arms off with his beam axe, attempting to finish her off with it.   
  
Just in the nick of time, Camille rescues her and successfully shoots off the Zaku's arm with a beam rifle. Kirkricon's luck turned around as he had failed in his attempt to attack Camille with the last of his weaponry, and having found out that all of his fellow mobile suits have all been decimated, retreated. The white Gundam Mk-II floated towards the Rick Dias and Camille escorted Emma back to the Agama.   
  
Emma: /Hey, you! You left our work at Granada before it was over!/   
  
Camille: /Yeah, but I came here to save you, Emma.../   
  
Emma: /Save me? How could you know I was in trouble, I didn't even send a signal to you!/   
  
Camille: /I...I just knew, Emma. I...*felt*...it, the whole thing...I just *had* to save you. Quattro even let me go, it's all true! Believe me!/   
  
Emma: (her features starting to feel less tense) /Is that so...? (sigh) Well, all I have to say is...thank you, Camille. And I'm sorry if I got mad at you or anything, if you hadn't com...then Lieutenant Kirkricon would have.../   
  
Camille: (smiling) /It's not important now, you know.../   
  
Emma: /Eh heh. Well you better go back and check up on Granada...or would you like to be "disciplined" again? Tee-hee.../   
  
Camille: /Ohhh yeah! I'd *love* to!/   
  
---   
  
As the operation to capture Granada was successful, resulting in the rest of the Titans having to resolve to retreat from the asteroid base, so was it seemingly successful for Reccoa and Kai to finally infiltrate Jabrow back in Earth.   
  
Reccoa: Uh, sir...I think you've helped me enough. You can get on with your journalistic assignments now, whatever they may be...   
  
Kai: No. I believe what you've been telling me about the AEUG's cause and I should at least accompany you if anything might happen to you.   
  
Reccoa: N...no, it's unsafe for you...I can take care of myself from here on...   
  
A door suddenly opens before them. They both gasp in surprise.   
  
---   
  
With the Agama still docked by Amman, the AEUG soon learn of the current developments at Jabrow. Knowing that they now have strategy as far as Granada was concerned, Brex promptly pressed his subordinates to make speedy preparations to launch another attack against the Titans as soon as possible.   
  
Camille saves his work on Astonage's computer and turned it off. That computer's owner was amazed at how brilliant this young boy could be; of course, he would have also thought that the proposed "Zeta" Gundam would also feature transformability, resulting in atmospheric flight capabilities.   
  
Astonage: You only just beat me to it, you know!   
  
Camille: Eh heh heh. But it's my idea now, so if you would just--   
  
Astonage: --on *my* computer even, Camille. You forget...you've just saved your file on drive C rather than on your diskette, my little friend. *And*, whatever's on my computer, automatically becomes my property. Get it? Heh heh heh heh. (smirks)   
  
Camille: (face turning red) Oh, shut up, man! Everyone forgets stuff every now and then!   
  
Astonage: Well, not as worse as *you* would forget things.   
  
Alarms sounded off as soon as the two had stopped laughing themselves off; there was another bogey invasion on the way. As if automatically, Camille immediately went to the Agama's mobile suit hangar and later launched on his own. The Alexandria, just a few kilometers away from Amman, was launching a missile barrage at the asteroid base. Luckily for Camille, though, the Alexandria wasn't firing its mega beam cannon, and thanks to Camille's quick reflexes due to his experience in battles, he had successfully slashed off and took shots at the Alexandria's missiles with his beam saber and rifle.   
  
Apparently, the Titan mobile suits Camille was now facing looked somewhat different; they were orange-red and had a strange head design, almost like a helmet from a samurai's lacquer armor. Camille told himself, these must be those new RMS-108 Marasai's I've been hearing rumors about...I can take them down, yeah...there seems to be only two or three of them headed this way...   
  
---   
  
Jerid: /Oooh yeah, I've been waiting for this! I can finally kick that Camille Vidan's ass once and for all!/   
  
Kirkricon: /Jerid, don't forget that we are to destroy the whole of the AEUG as well. Don't just go and concentrate your force on that boy./   
  
Jerid: /Yeah, yeah I know. Let's go and avenge Lyla's death...her departure from the Federation's service will not go unpaid.../   
  
Kirkricon: /How true, Jerid. That's the first time I've heard something like that from you.../   
  
---   
  
And so Marasai and Gundam soon intercept in mid-space. Camille was having the worst time of his life; he was obviously outnumbered in this specific battle and he wouldn't be surprised if he actually lost. He could tell one of the Marasai was piloted by none other than his perennial Titan thorn-in-the-flesh, Jerid Mesa. Jerid, too, can tell he was doing battle with Camille, and although it had seemed that he and Kirkricon were teaming up on him, one can tell that it was Jerid and Camille who were having the "time of their lives", so to speak.   
  
Kirkricon resolved then to make an assault on Amman and on the AEUG ship Agama itself and called on his other two Marasai-ridden comrades to do so. Camille left his duel with Jerid to protect the Agama and its two support ships, the Mont Blanc and the Radish, which were by themselves wildly shooting its turret machineguns at the three Marasai's. Jerid chased after Camille and took potshots at him to no avail, and Camille, through careful thinking of the situation, chose to abandon Amman, much to his dismay. The three AEUG ships sped up as Camille's Mk-II docked into the Agama and succesfully made their narrow escape. Jerid and Kirkricon cursed under their breath as they saw those accursed AEUG ships leave the scene like the cowards that they are.   
  
Jerid: Tch...We'll see each other again, Camille Vidan. I'll see to it that we will...   
  
---   
  
A few hours earlier, somewhere in Side 7...   
  
Bright: (thinking) Jesus Christ...what the heck did I do to deserve this...? To be reduced to the level of a luxury cruiser captain...how revolting...   
  
First mate: (saluting and standing in attention) Captain Bright, sir, the "Temptation" is ready to launch off to our one-way course to Japan, sir.   
  
Bright: (saluting back) That's good. And ummm...you don't have to salute me like that. I'm off-duty as a Federal Forces officer anyway...(sighs)   
  
First mate: Yes sir. By your leave, sir...   
  
Bright: (slumping on his chair and thinking) Geez...these kids can be too stubborn these days...well, if the Federation would just...ah, wait. I wouldn't want any of that shit happening anymore...   
  
And so the Federation luxury cruiser set its Earth-bound course, totally leaving Side 7. The journey was very peaceful; there were no troubles encountered whatsoever and Federal Forces Lieutenant 1st Class Bright Noah, in his trademark Federal Forces khaki-black-and-red uniform and austere personality let out a sigh of relief.   
  
He could still clearly remember the events of seven years ago, when he had fought the "fight" against the Duchy of Zeon alongside his subordinates...actually, he would rather call them his friends rather than his subordinates...Amuro, Kai, Hayato, Ryu, his now-fiancee Mirai...and Sayla. Sayla Mass...he still couldn't believe she would be actually the Red Comet's long-lost younger sister and one of the rightful heirs to the Duchy of Zeon...   
  
Meanwhile, somewhere else on the ship...   
  
Shinji: (giving his partner a quizzical look) Asuka, would you *stop* eating like that? It's very humiliating for such a...a...   
  
Asuka: (looking up at her partner) A rarft? (gulping down her food and leering back) A what, baka?   
  
Shinji: (sighs) ...a *lady* like you. Ughhh...   
  
Asuka stood up from her seat and put her hands on her hips. Shinji thought, uh oh, this is just so *great*. Here she goes again with another one of her ego trips...you and your big mouth, Shinji...   
  
Asuka: HA!! So NOW you finally realize *I'm* the most elegant and the most beautiful 14-year old lady in the entire universe! YOU, being the lowliest *scum* of the galaxy, just can't accept it! Well, I don't really mind having a chauffeur every now and then, but I'll give you proper credit when it's due! Muwahahahahaha!!!   
  
Shinji: Asuka, stop that, please! You're just making an asshole of yourself! You realize that there *are* people in this ship, helloooo?   
  
Asuka: What's that supposed to mean, pervert? (grabs him by the collar)   
  
Shinji: HA!! Now *that's* ladylike for you! Lookit all 'em people lookin at *you* right now, you red-haired freak!   
  
Asuka: AAARGH! I will *not* contend with your stupidity anymore, Mr. Shinji Ikari! Besides, a lady like me doesn't really like it when she's just so unluckily paired with the most loathsome pervert in the whole galaxy, so I'll just have to take it whether I like it or not! Bleah!!! (sticks out her tongue at Shinji)   
  
The two children continue their meal in the Temptation's makeshift ballroom/dining room. Shinji sighed as he stopped eating and just stared at what was left of his food. He just couldn't believe his father would want his presence after such a long time...   
  
Asuka: ...helloooo, Earth to Shinji...? You spacing out on me again? Thinking about stuff again, are you? (tries to hide the concerned look on her face)   
  
Shinji: .....it's nothing, Asuka.   
  
Asuka: Oh come on, you can tell me. We haven't been friends since birth for nothing, you know? I can listen to whatever you say, I might help you...   
  
Shinji: (smiling) I said it's nothing, Asuka. I just don't want you to get involved in my problems, that's all...   
  
Asuka: (crossing her arms) Oh well, if you say so. Hmm...hey, I thing I might have the thing that'll cheer you up...this cruiser we're in is named the "Temptation", right? Well, Shinji...I happen to know from... *ahem* reliable sources that *this* very ship's captain is none other than...   
  
Shinji: ...Captain Bright Noah of the White Base? Yeah, yeah, I know about that already. So what's your point?   
  
Asuka: Hmph. Well, remember last week--or was it last month?--who's the one who was blabbering about actually getting an autograph from even *one* of those people from White Base, huh? And who's the one who bet me a fortune after doing such a stunt, eh?   
  
Shinji: (face getting red) Hey! We were just messing around in that party! I didn't expect you to take it so seriously! Besides, I don't think I'll ever have any guts to--   
  
Asuka: Ha! Like you got any guts to begin with, fool! Come on, let's just go to the bridge, and let's have that autograph signed! Or are you just too wimpy that you can't show a lady some class, hmmm? it's not as if you're gonna get killed or anything, it's just a measly autograph!   
  
Shinji: Asuka...aaarg okay already! But don't go blaming me if I get the rough end of things, okay? Sheesh... (scratches his head and finishes the rest of his meal)   
  
Asuka: Tee-hee, that's the spirit, caveman! Ha ha ha ha ha! You were born for this moment, my little wimpy friend!   
  
Shinji: (sighs) Asuka, you've just made my life more complicated than it already is...   
  
---   
  
And so Shinji and Asuka asked almost every available hand on deck on the whereabouts of the Temptation's captain. Many passengers and workers in the ship had mistaken the pretty 14-year old German-Japanese girl to be Shinji's girlfriend, even sneaking in some snide comments like, "Hey boy, you're sure lucky to have a gal like her!" to which Shinji only replies with a blushing face and a straight "She's not my girlfriend...".   
  
The two kids had finally gotten outside the ship's bridge. Shinji was getting a bit nervous as to the tight situation he's gotten himself into; he just couldn't let Asuka down even if it was just a stupid bet he had made on their farewell party from their home colony in Side 7.   
  
Asuka: Well what the hell are you waiting for, get in there and have that autograph signed!   
  
Shinji: Yeah, yeah, just don't push me around too much! Last thing I want is somebody pushing me around to do thing I don't wanna do in the first place! Now just be quiet and behave like a real lady would, okay?!   
  
Shinji took all the guts he had and knocked on the door. For a few minutes, there was no answer from behind that door to the bridge of the ship. He knocked on some more until he finally resolved to just go get in there and get this over with. "Sheesh," he thought, "These military types are so..."   
  
Bright: What are you two kids doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in your bunkers or something?   
  
The two children almost jumped for the moon as they realized the one they've been looking for was just behind them. For some unknown reason, they both slipped and made a big mess of the carpet under them, and of course they fell down on the floor. Asuka, with her legs spread on the floor and complaining about her hurting butt...and Shinji...well, his face was in a most peculiar place in his partner's anatomy.   
  
A few seconds pass...Asuka was then struck with the realization that Shinji's face was on her crotch. She just stared at him like that for quite a while. He rose and reeled from their fall, but he never noticed that very sour and angry expression on his redheaded partner's face.   
  
Hell hath no fury over Asuka Langley Sohryu scorned.   
  
---   
  
Camille: Guys, did you hear that...?   
  
Apolli: Yeah, sounded like...   
  
Roberto: If I'm not mistaken, that was German for "Shinji, you fucking pervert!" or something...   
  
The Agama was quite a long way from the Temptation at that time.   
  
---   
  
Bright Noah was getting near the edge of kicking these two Japanese kids off his ship; the redheaded one had apparently formed a dent--or a lot of them--on the walls surrounding and on the door to the ship's bridge, almost destroying it. He had never seen such disorder in the history of his employment in the Federal Forces...   
  
Bright: (angrily) WOULD YOU TWO KIDS JUST KNOCK IT OFF?! Get back to your quarters, immediately!!   
  
Asuka: (pulling Shinji by his hair) But Captain, this dirty no-good pervert started it! He should have known better to peek into my panties like that! UGHHHH, I'm gonna *kill* you, Shinji Ikari!!   
  
Shinji: *I* started it?! If it wasn't for *your* hair-brained schemes I wouldn't be here in the first place, you bumbling red-haired idiot!   
  
Asuka: Ah, so *I'm* the idiot now?! You really want to shorten your life, don't you?!   
  
Bright: (radioing security) /Guards, anybody...*please* help me get some...very annoying nuisances out of my bridge at once...double time, even.../   
  
As soon as these events transpired at the Temptation's bridge, the floor shook under them violently. Luckily the three had kept their balance so they wouldn't fall the second time. Bright could have sworn that was an explosion.   
  
Asuka: What the hell was that?   
  
Shinji: Sounded like an explosion to me...   
  
Asuka: Explosion? Impossible, who in his right mind would attack a defenseless transport cruiser like the one we're in right now?   
  
Shinji: I dunno...unless....   
  
Bright: That couldn't have been an explosion, missy. But it's safe you two better get back to your rooms right now, this might be an emergency that may require special hands to help with...   
  
Shinji: Captain, I think we're experienced enough to be of some help to you.   
  
Asuka: Yeah, we've experienced countless air raids back in our colony and I think we may be of some help to you. Sir, think of it as paying you back for the shit we've done for you just now, what do you say?   
  
Bright: Well...all right. Just don't do any more damage like what just happened, okay kids? This ship is no place for lover's quarrels or anything of the sort, got that?   
  
Shinji and Asuka: We're NOT lovers!   
  
Shinji, Asuka, and Bright entered the Temptation's bridge. People were scurrying all over the place; this ship may have really been attacked. But who, indeed, would attack them? The AEUG? No, it's a very far-fetched idea, the AEUG would never do this even if they wanted to. Could it be...   
  
Ship engineer: Captain, we've spotted what seems to be a compact mobile armor on our tail. I think that's the cause of the explosion earlier, sir...   
  
Bright: A mobile armor shooting a harmless transport cruiser? God, I can't believe what's been happening these days, first it's me being dissed by lower officers and now this! What's this galaxy coming to...   
  
Ship engineer: Sir, we have audio-visual contact with the mobile armor. I'll put it on screen right now, sir.   
  
The ship's engineer tweaked a few controls and soon enough there was an image of a black beret-clad handsome man with shoulder-length purple hair wearing no less than the standard black-and-red Titan military uniform. Bright looked on in uncertainty as the man did a hand salute seemingly addressed towards him. He thought, he's from the Titans? How could that be...?   
  
Man: /Greetings, Federal Forces Lieutenant Commander Bright Noah of the infamous White Base. You might not know me, but I know you, sir. I am Titans Lieutenant Commander j.g. Paptimus Scirocco of the Engineering Division assigned in one of the Federation's research bases orbiting the planet Jupiter, the "Jupitoris". I have recieved specific orders from my superiors to personally exterminate you, sir, on the grounds that you have been colloborating with the AEUG./   
  
Bright Noah was stunned. He had been ordered to be exterminated? By whom? He had never gotten in touch with the AEUG whatsoever, and even if he did, he wouldn't have let it known! Shinji and Asuka were just as surprised at this sudden turn of events. They just looked at each other in mixed wonder and fear; if this guy was just targeting the captain, why was he taking shots at the ship itself? Didn't he know there were a lot of lives on this ship?   
  
The lie was barely noticeable.   
  
Bright: What makes you think I've colloborated with the AEUG?   
  
Scirocco: (smirking) /I was just following orders from upstairs, sir./ And I will make sure you won't get back to Earth alive...besides, this would be a very good test run for my PMX-000 Messala. Without Jupiter's gravity holding it back, I'm about to see how fast and good this baby could go. Heh heh heh...   
  
Bright: (slamming his hands on the table) SHIT! That's a bunch of bull! With your reasoning I might actually turn my services over to the AEUG!   
  
Scirocco: /An unwise decision, Captain. With that, it'd make me much more determined to kill you *and* your cargo. Say your prayers, people.../   
  
Scirocco then prepared to lock his crosshairs targeting the Temptation. This was going to be easy, the purple-haired Titans officer thought, as he made final adjustments to fire at the helpless Federation transport cruiser. He then suddenly stopped in his tracks as his Minovsky radar detected a high concentration of Minovsky particles somewhere north-northeast of him. Scirocco made an evil grin as he saw the Agama, the Mont Blanc, and the Radish come toward his direction.   
  
Scirocco: And so the AEUG finally comes out of the shadows. I've been waiting for this!   
  
---   
  
Bright: Oh, great. Now the AEUG come into the picture. What do we do now?   
  
First mate: Sir, I think those AEUG ships are in no place to harm us. They might even be here to help us, sir.   
  
Bright: Is that so? Try to get contact with the AEUG's main ship immediately, we might actually need their help right now in this time of our dire need...   
  
Ship engineer: Sir, they've established audio-visual contact with us!   
  
Quattro: /I believe you might need some help, Captain Bright Noah?/   
  
Bright: (thinking) It's...it's the Red Comet! He's alive?! How could that be? But of course...Amuro never told me he actually killed Char back then...why would Char Aznable help us now...?   
  
Bright: Yes...we do need some help around here, I just didn't expect it to come from you.   
  
Quattro: /Hmph. Very well, my commander will send out our best pilots ASAP to defend your ship the best we can. Over and out./   
  
Bright sat in his chair just thinking over the events that had transpired this day. He had just found out the Titans were out to kill him, now Char Aznable was out there to help them? True, it was no surprise to him now that he knows that Char was with the AEUG, but then...   
  
Shinji: Asuka, maybe if we had gone to our rooms in the first place we wouldn't have...   
  
Asuka: ...Shinji, for the first time in my life, I'd think you're definitely right...I'm already scared...I don't want to die, Shinji...   
  
As Shinji reassuringly patted Asuka's back, the gold-colored Hyakushiki and the white Gundam Mark-II had launched from the Agama to protect the Temptation from any more attacks, but it looked as if Scirocco wasn't targeting the Temptation in the first place, but was waiting for the right time for the AEUG to come out...   
  
Quattro aimed his mega-bazooka launcher at the Messala and fired a shot or two at it, but with the Messala's overall structure having been adapted to Jupiter's high gravity, Scirocco had easily dodged the Hyakushiki's bazooka attack due to its uncanny speed. Quattro was just left so amazed at this mobile armor's speed...   
  
Camille had followed up with a melee attack using his beam saber, but in the process, he never saw the Messala transforming into a mobile suit coming and Scirocco had successfully blocked Camille's attack with his own beam saber. Camille and Scirocco had a fight that lasted for minutes, and the former had again "sensed" something in his head...he had thought, this guy's a tough cookie to deal with, but the blue-haired boy kept on fighting anyway.   
  
Scirocco had sensed the same feeling coming from the white Gundam, and resolved to retreat for the time being. Two against one was an unfair fight, much more because one of them was a fellow Newtype like him. Scirocco had cursed under his breath as he transformed his Messala into mobile armor mode once again and fleeted towards Earth.   
  
Strangely enough, Shinji and Asuka also sensed something in their heads like a sudden rush of adrenaline. They just looked at each other and wondered about it.   
  
---   
  
The crew and passengers of the Temptation had taken refuge in the Agama and were warmly welcomed there. Shinji and Asuka were just awed at the sights they had and were about to see inside the AEUG flagship. Bright, however, had kept silent all throughout this and waited for the person who had offered to help them in their time of need.   
  
Camille and Quattro had later presented themselves to Bright and his mates at the Temptation, with Camille being very eager to meet the former White Base captain for the first time.   
  
Camille: (shaking Bright's hand and grinning) It's a very, very big honor to meet you, Bright-captain! I've always wanted to meet you ever since I heard you were assigned back in Green Noah 1 and have my autograph signed from you! Oh by the way, my name's Camille Vidan!   
  
Bright: Uh...well, it's very pleasant to meet you, Mr. Camille Vidan...   
  
Quattro: (offering a handshake to Bright) And it's very pleasant to meet you too, Captain Bright Noah of the White Base.   
  
Bright: (leering at Quattro and shaking his hand) Right... (whispering in a gruff tone into the side of Quattro's ear) Very, VERY nice to meet you again indeed, "Red Comet" Char Aznable. Or should that be Casval Lem Daikun, the rightful heir to the Duchy of Zeon? And what's with the sunglasses disguise anyway?   
  
Quattro: Please don't call me by those names anymore...or at least not *yet*, Captain Bright. (smirks) Right now, I am Quattro Bajina of the AEUG. Where's Amuro, by the way? And one of your crewmembers...Sayla Mass was her name, was it?   
  
Bright: He's...he's in a better place if you must ask, Char. As for your sister Artesia...Sayla, I mean...she's now at Earth serving as a nurse for the Federal Forces in Dakar, in Africa.   
  
Quattro: Heh...   
  
Shinji: Uh...Camille-san, why do you think they're talking to each other like that? It's as if they know each other...and their handshakes seem a bit too tight...   
  
Camille: (shrugs) Dunno...   
  
Quattro: Oh, and who might these children be, Captain?   
  
Bright: Ah, these two kids are just passengers in my ship. This is Shinji Ikari and this is Asuka Langley Sohryu. We were supposed to drop them off at Japan if our trip hadn't been so rudely interrupted by Lieutenant Scirocco back there...   
  
Shinji and Asuka: (bowing politely) Douzo yoroshiku o-negaishimasu.   
  
Quattro: Hmm, so you two are Japanese. That's good. (bowing back politely) It's also very nice to meet you two. So Captain, where are you headed now?   
  
Bright: Well, we *were* originally headed off to the Philippines to drop off a number of our passengers there, including Shinji and Asuka here, but I'm considering going to Germany because Asuka here told me she was going to get some of her things there, but everything's basically just intended to drop almost everyone off to Manila and...go on our way, yeah.   
  
Quattro: Mmhmm. Captain, could we have a little private talk on the Agama's bridge? I'd pretty much think we have a lot of...business opportunities to talk about upstairs, if you wouldn't mind.   
  
Bright: Hmm. Well, I suppose we could...Lieutenant Quattro.   
  
---   
  
Brex: Ah, if it isn't my old friend in the army, Lieutenant j.g. Bright Noah. How nice to see you here in these parts, come on in!   
  
Bright: (saluting him) And it's a pleasure to meet you again after such a long time, Colonel Brex Forra. How long has it been, six, seven years? I could remember I was under your regiment in the Tianem Fleet way back when I was still Ensign, just before the One Year War...   
  
Brex: Ha ha ha ha, yes, yes. Well, everything's been going well so far. I would think this new struggle we have would have a really good future ahead of us, don't you think so, sir?   
  
Bright: Colonel, why have you gone against the authority of the Federation?   
  
Brex: Well, son, it's kind of a very long line of sad stories as to why I'm here and being the leader of the very force that would eventually go against the Federation...oh, I stand corrected. The AEUG is definitely not going against the whims of the noble Earth Federation, it's just that when they had put these despicable thugs who are none other than the Titans into place, well...let's just say there's been some fishy business happening among rank and file. Especially that stuff that happened in 30 Bunch back in Side 3...   
  
Bright: You mean to say that that 30 Bunch incident wasn't just a lie after all? God...and I thought those were just rumors! Those poor people...there must have been a lot of women and children there...   
  
Brex: Exactly. And from what happened earlier...that mobile armor seemed very enthusiastic in destroying your ship back there, am I right? And from the looks of it, I don't think that mobile armor was ever one of ours.   
  
Bright: Come to think of it, that...Lieutenant Scirocco fellow who was piloting that MA told me he had orders "coming from upstairs to exterminate" me...thank goodness you people came and saved me and my ship...   
  
A resonating silence soon filled the room. Quattro put his hands into his pockets and gazed out into space and sighed as Brex looked into the former White Base captain's face which was now marked with worry and concern for his own life.   
  
Brex: Son...I'm making a deal with you. We have just entered into a new struggle against a corrupt Earth government. You must also be valuing your life above all, and from what I've known of you, you seem to always like "doing the right thing", you know.   
  
Bright: What are you trying to tell me, Colonel...?   
  
The old AEUG commander paused for a bit then let out a little sigh.   
  
Brex: I'll be frank. I want you to join us in the resistance against the corruption of the Titans. Lieutenant, I have seen how you have led a successful 13th Autonomous Corps into its glory and victory against the Zeons. It was a very exceptional and outstanding thing that you did seven years ago, how you have handled most of the work that could have been done with a very big fraction of the Federal Forces. Lieutenant, we need a strategist and a captain of your caliber to lead this small and humble fleet in its resistance movement. Will you join us?   
  
Bright thought it over for a long while, walking to and fro slowly across the room. Quattro peered at him through his sunglasses and smirked; he knew this decision would probably turn the tables in their favor.   
  
Bright: ...I...   
  
---   
  
Four people were walking down the halls of the Agama talking more or less about the events of the day. The brown-haired Japanese boy still seemed awed at the inner features of the AEUG flagship, although he could have sworn his red-haired half-German partner was skipping along as she was having a discussion with a certain woman. The woman's blue-haired young partner didn't seem to be so enthusiastic on coming with them, but he was with them anyway.   
  
Emma: So why are you two kids on board the Temptation? Are you both going to Earth on a certain point of itinerary or something?   
  
Asuka: Yes, ma'am! We're umm...finally moving to Earth after a long time of living in space, and we'll be staying and living in Japan! But I still have to get some of my...stuff back in Germany and I'll get to live with li'l ol' wussy-head here.   
  
Emma: I see...   
  
Shinji: (raising an eyebrow) *We*? Heh, and I thought *I* was the one who spent most of his life in space...you were gone most of the time doin' your little trips to Earth while I stayed alone in that hellhole of a colony!   
  
Asuka: Hmph. Well I *had* to make those "little trips to Earth" because I was currently finishing my college education there while you were just bumming around back home, idiot!   
  
Camille and Emma: Say *what*?! You finished college already? At your age?!   
  
Shinji: (rolling his eyes) Ohhh dear, there goes Miss Prodigy Girl again...hmm, how many times have I heard about the great legend of the red-headed freak...?   
  
Asuka: What's *that* supposed to mean?! Why I oughta bust your ass right here and now...!   
  
Instinctively, Emma got a hold of Asuka before she even got a chance to pound away at Shinji, who had already taken cover from the impending danger he's once again about to face. Camille just shook his head as he retrieved the hiding Shinji and tried to feed him some words of wisdom about dealings with the opposite sex.   
  
Camille: Tsk, tsk...Shinji, do you always do this to Asuka? I mean, she's just trying to be friendly and all...   
  
Shinji: (Pant, pant) ...friendly? You don't even know the half of how she really is! You violent red-haired freak! Nyaaaah!!   
  
Camille: (sighs) Geez, you're hopeless, man...   
  
Emma released Asuka when she knew the girl had calmed down a bit. Asuka just crossed her arms and fumed at Shinji, acting as if she was brushing dust off her sleeves.   
  
Asuka: Hmph! Well, at least I'm not as wimpy as *you* are, fool! Or have you forgotten that I was the one who's always saving your sorry ass back when those jerks were picking on you in that colony, huh?   
  
Emma: Children...please, let's just calm down a bit, okay? We'll have enough fights for one day and I'll say this is final. Now you two just shake hands and make up unless I'll have to force you two to do it.   
  
Shinji reluctantly offered his hand to the still-fuming Asuka, who shook hands with him quite reluctantly herself. All four sighed almost in unison and Camille and Emma prompted to lead the two children to their new rooms in the Agama. It was just a fleeting moment before Camille had finally realized who had just tackled him from out of nowhere...   
  
Fa: (giggling and hugging Camille) Camille!! Oh Camille, where have you been? I've looked all over Green Noah 1 for you!   
  
Camille: (looking really surprised) Fa!! Uhh...it's really great to see you too! I've looked all over the place for you too, it's just that I didn't expect you to be here! Heh heh, I'm very surprised, were you on the Temptation like Shinji and Asuka here?   
  
Fa: (pouts) I've missed you, you know! Yeah, I've been on the ship cuz I knew Captain Bright Noah was the resident captain and since you've told me once you've always wanted to get an autograph from him, I'd thought you were with him or he's seen you or something. Captain Bright told me he must have seen you some place the time you disappeared in Green Noah 1, so I told Mom I'd go with Captain Bright to go look for you, and...I found you! Tee-hee!   
  
Camille: (wiping the sweat off his brow) ...aaaand I've missed you too! Heh heh heh...   
  
Shinji and Asuka: (whispering and squinting) Uhh...what the hell...?   
  
Emma: Your...girlfriend, I presume, Camille...?   
  
Camille: Uhh, yeah! A-ahem, folks, this is my girlfriend Fa Yuiri, she's been living in my neighborhood in Green Noah 1 back in Side 7 since we were little kids. Fa, this is one of my superior officers in the AEUG, Emma Sheen; and these two are Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley-Sohryu, they're from Side 7 too and they're planning on living on Earth permanently with their parents.   
  
Fa: (shaking everybody's hands) It's nice to meet all of you!   
  
Shinji and Asuka: Err...nice to meet you too!   
  
Emma: It's a pleasure to meet new people everyday!   
  
Camille: (sighs) Ah, well now, judging from the time we've taken journeying I'd say we'll be arriving on Earth in five more hours from now. I'm sure you two are excited to finally land on Earth, am I right?   
  
Asuka: Yeah! I'm very ecstatic as a matter of fact! Umm... (looks at Shinji, who's suddenly looking so sullen) ...and I'm sure Shinji here's very enthusiastic about it as well, heh heh heh!   
  
Shinji: .....   
  
Emma: Well now, we should be getting back to our posts right now and you two better go back to your rooms. See you on Earth, you two!   
  
Asuka waved at Camille, Emma, and Fa walking away from them and smiled as she said her farewells to them. She looked at her partner with concern and gave him a pat on the back.   
  
Asuka: Shinji, is this about the Com...I mean, your father again?   
  
Shinji: I...I don't really want to talk about it, Asuka. It's bad enough now as it is and like I've told you time and again, I don't want you getting involved in my personal problems...much more with my Dad...   
  
Asuka: (sighs) I understand. Well, why don't we go roaming around this ship...it's called the "Agama", right?...while we're not doing anything, hmm? Yeah, I'd think it'd be a good idea for us to wander around for a while! What do you say?   
  
The redhead was very eager to strike up a conversation with Shinji as they walked down the halls of the AEUG flagship, but it seems that Shinji was in his own world at the time, and this made Asuka worry very much for her best friend. It really was true what he said earlier, even though they were friends ever since they had learned how to talk, there really was something deep bothering Shinji inside of him that even she couldn't put a finger upon. Even though she had already finished college...maybe she still had a lot to learn from Shinji; after all, she'd been gone from his presence most of the time when she was on Earth...   
  
---   
  
Brex: Bright, son, you have made an excellent choice in your life. I congratulate you on your acceptance as new Captain of the Agama of the AEUG! (shakes Bright's hands)   
  
Bright: Thank you for accepting me in your ranks, sir. I appreciate your acknowledgment of my abilities as a leader and I will assure you that with your leadership, I will do anything I can to achieve our success. (salutes Brex, but is still looking suspiciously at Quattro)   
  
Quattro: Right. Captain, you said you were going to drop off some of your passengers from the Temptation into the spaceport at Manila, am I right? Commander Brex sir, does Torres already know our itinerary for Manila?   
  
Brex: Yes, as a matter of fact I've told him that just a while ago. Besides, the Philippines is a neutral country and I would doubt if the Titans would even plan to launch a strike force against us there. It would also be one of our turning points into our entry into Tokyo; the AEUG seems to have some friends at Japan that we didn't even know about. So, I would say that we should just relax a little bit, even though we should stay on guard for sudden enemy attacks. That Scirocco fellow seemed really nasty...   
  
Quattro: Indeed, Commander. Captain, I'll show you to the bridge.   
  
---   
  
Episode 4, "Angel Attack"   
-------------------   
  
And so the Agama had safely made its way into the spaceport at Manila, Philippines. Asuka tried hard to keep her arrogant "mask" on her face just to lighten Shinji up as she was so concerned for the poor boy, to no avail. She just sighed and wrapped Shinji's head with a tackle and rubbed his scalp with her other fist.   
  
Asuka: Don't be so mopey all the time, or you'll really regret it. Come on, lighten up will ya? It's not as if you'll be lonely all the time, you did tell me there was this really cute woman named Misato Katsuragi who'll meet you by the time you'll arrive in Tokyo, right? Trust me, she's a real fun fellow to be with, I've known her for a long time when I was in Germany in my fourth year.   
  
The sullen boy just couldn't help but laugh a little at his redheaded partner's attempt at cheering him up, so he retaliated by tickling at her sides, or at least trying to.   
  
Shinji: Heh heh...well, I guess I'll see you in Japan in a few weeks or so. Take care of yourself, okay Asuka?   
  
Asuka: (releasing Shinji from her grip) Yeah, you too, wussy! Don't worry, I'll bring you something *really* good from Germany when I come home in Japan. I'm sure you'll really, really like it!   
  
Shinji: (raising his eyebrow) Hmm...what is it?   
  
Asuka: Ah-ha, I can't tell you that, it's a secret! (winks at him suggestively)   
  
Shinji: (blinks) Yeah, right...well you gotta be going now or you'll be late for your flight...   
  
Asuka and Shinji said their last goodbyes to each other before the former had taken a cab to the nearest international airport and waved at the latter through the car window. She even stuck out her tongue at him and made an ugly face at him as she went away...but he knew better than that.   
  
With the sun setting in the onset of a crimson-red sky behind his back, Shinji Ikari just sighed and popped his mini-headphones connected to his Walkman and listened in to Bach...or was it Beethoven...he couldn't really care less about "ancient" musicians or composers anymore, now that he was about to meet the most hated person in his life in a matter of hours. This person was his father of fourteen years, the man who had abandoned him for the most part of his life, Gendo Ikari. Shinji could still vaguely remember his father's cold, peering gaze through a pair of glasses...and that little pale ice-blue-haired girl who seemed to be always with him ever since his mother died.   
  
And as Shinji boarded the Agama and went into his room, AEUG Lieutenant Emma Sheen was looking at him with almost the same concern as the other child Asuka had for him. This boy, she thought, is going to have a very, very hard time on Earth before him...   
  
---   
  
Shinji stepped off the monorail and watched it leave with a rush of wind blowing though him. He thought, with so many technological advances we've had in this time, Japan hasn't really much changed. He was still seeing those familiar rice paddy fields and beautiful sceneries of forests and ancient Buddhist and Shinto temples; time doesn't really change culture that much, even now that it *is* U.C. 0087.   
  
He could never repay the kindness and the friendship that the AEUG had given to him, much more with his newfound friends in Camille Vidan, his girlfriend Fa Yuiri, the austere former White Base Federal Forces Captain Bright Noah, the motherly former Titans Lieutenant Emma Sheen, and the rest of the crew of the Agama...and especially the enigmatic Quattro Bajina, whom he had thought at first to be Char Aznable of the fallen Duchy of Zeon, but later dismissed the idea. He had always thought the AEUG were some kind of terrorists--or at least that was the thought that those visiting Titans officers back in his colony were trying to insinuate into his and his best friend Asuka's mind.   
  
Asuka...I wonder what she's doing right now? he thought. For once, he had missed her wisecracks and insults at him. It was almost as if like she...naah, it would be too much of a far-fetched idea.   
  
So he was finally going to see his father who had abandoned him...that's just fine, he thought. It's not as if I'm very excited to see him or anything, he just dumped me off at my uncle's place in Side 7. But then...after fourteen years, what could he want from him now?   
  
As he got off the monorail station, he walked a long distance from it and finally sat down at a park. Shinji wondered greatly as he had expected Tokyo to be a very busy city; it had apparently become like a ghost town. No matter, he thought as he lay his baggage down for a while and reached into his back pocket to look at a little postcard he had gotten as an "official summons" for him to go to Tokyo. It pictured a beautiful Japanese young woman with long black hair, probably in her late twenties, and most definitely in skimpy denim short shorts and a sexy yellow sleeveless shirt. The postcard read, "To Shinji, I'm going to pick you up, so please wait for me! P.S.: Note the cleavage!"   
  
Shinji squirmed at the thought. A lady *her* age wearing *that* outfit? And she's his father's *what*? He just shook his head and stretched out, then went on his way. It's useless going to other monorail stations anyway, maybe that's what the air raid siren that had gone off earlier meant as to why Tokyo's virtually empty right now, so he thought he had rather walk.   
  
---   
  
At a location somewhere a bit distant from where Shinji was, a small horde of old-fashioned howitzer-type tanks and three or four GM Sniper Custom mobile suits were standing off the coast of Tokyo. It seemed that this little Kalaba regiment was taking aim at something coming at their direction...quite speedily at that, from the Sea of Japan.   
  
The leader of the group, a familiar former Federal Forces Lieutenant Commander in his middle twenties with short dark red curly hair, piloting his viridian-green AEUG-issue Rick Dias wanted to wipe the sweat off his brow but couldn't, if it wasn't for the fiberglass filter that his helmet had. He radioed his trusty wingman in her own customized deep cerulean AEUG-issue Rick Dias, a pretty young redheaded former Federal Forces 1st Class Chief Petty Officer also in her middle twenties about the situation on her end of the coast.   
  
Amuro: /Officer Christina MacKenzie, how's things going on there?/   
  
Chris: /Pretty fine, Amuro-sempai. Although I would have wondered why they would want me in the service *now*...I mean, I've taken my leave and all so I could spend more time with Bernie and our wedding plans.../   
  
Amuro: /Well, we're needed right now, so we're not really entitled to complain. Bernie will be fine, don't worry. Besides, this will be good training for you, Chris. The Federation needs a few good men right now and I'd think, from our current situation with the Titans, the Federation is running out of good men.../   
  
Chris: (giggling) /Indeed, Amuro-sempai! Oh, shit, here it comes...it's an ugly sonofabitch, all right.../   
  
The small fleet prepared to take aim at the approximately 40-meter-tall black ugly humanoid thing with a small disc-like structure with two black dots that would probably count as its "face" that has just risen out of the sea. Amuro Ray just couldn't believe his eyes at the monstrosity he, Chris, and the rest of his Kalaba junkies were about to face.   
  
Amuro: /That's odd...I don't recall *anybody* making such a mobile suit...if it could be called a mobile suit at all...do you, Chris?/   
  
Chris: /Me neither...should we open fire, Commander?/   
  
Amuro: /Yes, immediately. All men, fire at will!/   
  
---   
  
A few minutes pass. Or more appropriately, more than twenty minutes pass, but the target still hasn't gone down. Somewhere in a large dark underground room that looked like more like a bridge or a sortie room of a Federation battleship near where Amuro and Chris were, a number of Federation officers were very angry at this turn of events; the thing didn't even seem to budge, moreover, this "monster" was terrorizing almost half of the small Federal Forces fleet as they were speaking. It was also sighted to have been advancing through Tokyo.   
  
Federation officer A: It's a tough bastard! Even Officers Amuro and MacKenzie weren't able to place even a single dent on this fucker!   
  
Federation officer B: What the hell do we do now?!   
  
Across this room that was being filled with control room operators' shouts of current developments on the situation, two people, one standing beside the seated other, were just calmly watching the events that have been happening as if they were expecting this kind of thing to happen. The seated one was a Japanese man in his forties who had short hair and donned a pair of darkly colored eyeglasses. The other one who stood was also a thin Japanese man in his early sixties.   
  
Standing man: It has been almost seven years, hasn't it, Ikari-kun?   
  
Gendo: Yes, Fuyutsuki, there's no mistake...the Angels have finally come. The day has finally arrived...the time of trials that humanity cannot avoid...   
  
---   
  
Amuro just couldn't believe his luck...or the lack of it, as his ammunition was down way too low for his own good and he might have to risk doing a melee attack on the monster. He just couldn't believe how intense their attack had been on the monster and not one single scratch had been done to it.   
  
Amuro: /Shit...Christina, do you still have some ammo?/   
  
Chris: /I'm on my worst day myself, sempai. What the hell should we do now?/   
  
Amuro: /Chris, do you remember that Zeon-patented "jet-stream attack" I've taught you a few days earlier? Well, it's a long shot, but I'd think we would have a chance if we do it on this big piece of chicken shit./   
  
Chris: /But Commander, we've only two mobile suits! That jet-stream attack requires three people to execute just like those three Zeon dudes called the Black Trinary did when you last fought them! It's just impossible!/   
  
Amuro: /Nothing's too impossible, Chris. We can do it even with only two mobile suits. Now let's go and kick some ass!/   
  
As if they had prepared for this situation, Amuro had extra apogee motors installed in his and Chris' respective emerald and azure Rick Diases a few weeks ago. Chris had gotten behind the target with incredible speed and attempted to shoot at it from behind, but she knew it would turn around and counterattack. That's when Amuro would come in from behind the target and attempt to make a treacherous assault on it with the last of charges on his beam rifle.   
  
It seemed as if they had made the connection, but to Chris' surprise the monster--otherwise known as an "Angel" by Gendo Ikari--grabbed the blue Rick Dias' head with an outstretched arm and hurled it towards the nearest building. And as Amuro shot at the Angel with the last of his beam rifle shots, was done the same, unfortunately, and was forced to radio Chris to retreat, which Chris thought was very unusual for a soldier such as Amuro Ray to do...unusual, but right indeed, as they were outgunned and outmanned by this towering epitome of ugliness which was now advancing towards its own target.   
  
Nearby, however, Shinji had taken cover from where the Gundam had taken fall and was almost hit by some flying shrapnel if it were not for the U.C. 0087 Nissan Sentra that suddenly screeched in front of him, serving as his cover. The woman driver, who had called Shinji by name as if she knew him, offered him a getaway ride out of here.   
  
Woman: C'mon, get in the car!!   
  
Shinji: I...Is that you, Miss Misato Katsuragi?   
  
Misato: Yeah, yeah, just HURRY up and GET IN!!   
  
Just as soon as Shinji had gotten into the car, Misato had stepped on the gas and hightailed it out of the wreckage that had been a large building. He looked at the monster who had just hurled the Gundam like it was a rag doll and wondered what in the world was it.   
  
Misato: Sorry I was late, kiddo...   
  
Shinji: N...no, that's all right, I was the one who's late...   
  
Misato: Fuck it, don't those Feddies ever learn? No matter what the hell they do, they simply just can't do any significant damage to that thing over there.   
  
Shinji: Umm...so what exactly is that thing over there? Some kind of a new mobile suit model or something?   
  
Misato: You seem pretty calm about it, given the circumstances. No, that couldn't even begin to be a mobile suit...that thing, my friend, is an "Angel".   
  
Shinji: An..."Angel"...?   
  
Misato: No time to explain. We have to get out of here as soon as possible--oh, SHIT!!!   
  
The 29-year-old Japanese woman almost never noticed that air-to-ground missile that had gone their way and the two had just braced for impact. The next thing they knew, the car was turned upside down and Misato helped Shinji to get out of the car.   
  
Misato: Aww geez, are they shooting blind?! You okay, Shinji?   
  
Shinji: Yeah, thanks...I guess so...   
  
Misato just suddenly shrieked in terror at the demise of her Nissan Sentra and her black one-piece sleeveless-and-miniskirt outfit. She was yelling about how she still has a lot of payments on the car, about how her dress was so ruined now, about how her sunglasses were pulverized...she just didn't notice Shinji staring at her weirdly, who was thinking how weird Misato looked like making a fool of herself.   
  
Shinji was just suddenly tackled by Misato as the latter had seen the Angel coming down upon them but had apparently been shoved away by another Angel-like thing. Shinji stared at the new purple giant in terror and panted.   
  
Shinji: There's another one?!   
  
Misato: No, this one's on our side. See, it even turned over our car. Now come on, let's scram out of here, on the double! We just can't run out of time just standing around here doing nothing!   
  
Shinji: R...right...Miss Katsuragi, is that other thing...a new kind of mobile suit?   
  
---   
  
The Federation officials just looked on in worry as they saw the large purple robot being trashed around by the Angel, and soon enough Gendo ordered its evacuation from the premises through an entry point that had just opened under it. In a fit of desperation, the Federation officials ordered an N2 mine deployment operation against the Angel in three minutes...   
  
And in three minutes, a nuclear explosion had happened kilometers away from where Shinji and Misato were, toppling over their car once again and making them feel the impact of the blast. The Federation officials were shouting for joy as they had seen the aftermath of the Angel; they wouldn't need the "Eva's" help after all, recognizing the power of the Federation's hidden nuclear force.   
  
It wasn't too long before a certain control room operator had reports of energy readings from ground zero and these Federation officials had exclaimed that the Angel was some kind of an immortal monster or a devil of some sort.   
  
Federation officer A: We had just received word from the Committee. (sighs) Effective immediately, command authority for this operation has been transferred to you, the Supreme Commander of Nerv! Let's just see what you and Nerv are capable of!   
  
Federation officer B: Even our mobile suit aces Lieutenant Commander Amuro Ray and Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Christina MacKenzie don't stand a chance against the target. But...do you really think you'd do the job more effectively?   
  
Gendo Ikari just calmly shifted his glasses back from the bridge of his nose into its place in reply and kept a stern face as he looked at the panel of Earth Federation officers before him.   
  
Gendo: Do not be concerned. After all, this is the purpose of Nerv.   
  
---   
  
Misato's car had soon finally entered into a transport portal of sorts leading to what seemed to be a very large underground facility. Shinji thought he had seen a symbol or logo of half a red maple leaf with large red letters beside it that read like "N-E-R-V" with the phrase around the logo, "God's in His Heaven, all's right with the world".   
  
As they were being transported to their destination, Shinji opened a folder and skimmed the contents of it.   
  
Shinji: So...Miss Katsuragi, you're with this agency called "Nerv"?   
  
Misato: Oh, just call me Misato. Yeah, I'm with Nerv, it's an unpublicized organization under the direct control of the Federated Union of Nations, or what we would call the Earth Federation. I work at Nerv as an international civil servant, just like your father...   
  
Shinji: Just like my father, huh... (sighs as he looks out the car window) Miss Katsuragi, why do you think Dad summoned me here? I had always thought he had forgotten about me or something...   
  
Misato: Why do you ask? You're not really comfy with him, are you?   
  
Shinji: No...it's just that I think it's inconvenient. And what's more, we could probably just be fighting anyway...   
  
Shinji couldn't help but watch in awe as Misato's car was being transported to their point of destination; although he was kind of depressed at the moment, the scenery of a very, very large underground hollow with these structures he could have mistaken for upside-down buildings at the "ceiling" of the hollow and a pyramid-like structure below them with certain spires beside it amidst a vast, lush, green forest. He couldn't even begin to imagine such enormous underground hollows had existed.   
  
Shinji: What's...this...? Is it a real...umm, what do you call it again? A "geofront"...?   
  
Misato: Oh yeah, this is what your grade school teachers might have taught you; yes, it is a geofront, more specifically, Nerv Headquarters. This, Shinji...this is the keystone for the resurrection of the world, and the stronghold of humanity.   
  
---   
  
The whole room was silent as three figures saw through a monitor a near-severely injured 14-year old girl with short ice-blue hair being applied life support and being wheeled away in a recliner. Nerv Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari was seated watching all of this as the two other figures, the elderly Nerv Supreme Vice-Commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki and a thirty year-old Japanese woman with short hair dyed blonde named Professor Ritsuko Akagi who was clad in a lab coat and a blue shirt and a short black skirt underneath, watched on.   
  
Fuyutsuki: Even these people from Kalaba are giving up...   
  
Ritsuko: Commander Ikari...what will we do now?   
  
Gendo: ...we will have to reinitialize Unit-01.   
  
Fuyutsuki: But that's impossible, we have no more pilots for it!   
  
Ritsuko: Yes, and Rei's no longer able to...   
  
Gendo just looked at the little TV monitor marked "Camera 1" and faced his two colleagues. He was watching his son being accompanied by Misato going down a certain hall somewhere in Nerv HQ.   
  
Gendo: There is no more need for concern...the reserve pilot has just arrived.   
  
---   
  
The two walked down the halls of Nerv Headquarters, with Shinji just innocently following by. But Shinji was no fool; he had noticed that Misato had just been leading the both of them in circles. He finally had the courage to tell this to Misato and the latter just snapped at him like she knew what she was doing.   
  
Misato: Shut up, okay? I know *exactly* where we're going, I happen to know this place better than you do! Eh heh heh heh heh!   
  
Shinji: (thinking) Oh great...now I'm stuck with a grown woman who has no sense of direction whatsoever...what could be worse...?   
  
A few moments later, an automatic sliding door had opened somewhere behind them and a ticked-off Ritsuko Akagi beamed at them, more specifically at Misato.   
  
Ritsuko: Captain Misato Katsuragi! You're LATE!   
  
Misato: (slowly turning behind her in surprise) Err...Ritsuko, what a pleasant surprise, you found us! Tee-hee-hee-hee!   
  
Ritsuko: Hmph! I'll have you know that we neither have the personnel nor the time for such nonsense. (sounding bored) Just admit that you're lost in your own HQ, won't you?   
  
Misato: (giggling) Uhh...heh heh. Umm, I guess I really *am* lost, Ritsuko! I'm sorry, really--I haven't been given the full run-down of this place yet! (scratches her head and tries to look real silly)   
  
The blonde woman in lab coat then turned her gaze at the boy who accompanied her old college friend and rubbed her chin in observing him.   
  
Ritsuko: Hmm...so *this* is the Third Child, huh? Very interesting.   
  
Shinji: Umm...I'm Shinji Ikari. Nice to meet you, ma'am. (thinking) *Now* what is this "Third Child" stuff...?   
  
Ritsuko: And it is a pleasure to meet you too, Shinji. I'm Professor Ritsuko Akagi from the Nerv first engineering division and the supervisor of "Project E". Come along, Shinji. I have...*something* to show you before you see your father.   
  
Ritsuko just led the way for the boy into a large dark room somewhere in the Nerv headquarters with Misato tailing nearby. Shinji knew this fateful reunion with his father was going to take a violent turn on his life...he just didn't know if it would take a turn for the better or for the worse.   
  
Shinji: (murmuring) Something to show me, huh...   
  
---   
  
The Nerv control room seemed less than calm as control room operators were shouting damage reports caused by the Angel; the large 40 meter-tall monstrosity had apparently made its rampage once again through Tokyo. Gendo seemed quiet in all this ruckus and had finally made his decision.   
  
Gendo: I leave it all to you, Fuyutsuki.   
  
Fuyutsuki: Right...   
  
The old man just watched as Gendo had himself transported into another part of Nerv Headquarters through some sort of a transport mechanism that the latter had been pushing some buttons with. Fuyutsuki shook his head as he thought of what might come for his Commander and his son whom he had neglected for most of his life.   
  
Fuyutsuki: (sighs) ...his first meeting with his son in years...   
  
---   
  
The moment Ritsuko had turned on the lights to this very dark room that she had led Shinji and Misato into, Shinji was just so awed at the sight of what seemed to be an enormous robot's head a number of times larger than Shinji's body. It definitely looked like the mobile suit...or whatever it was...that saved them earlier.   
  
Shinji: Is it...is it some kind of a new kind of mobile suit...?   
  
Ritsuko: Strictly speaking, she's not a mobile suit....she's not even a robot. She is a man-made, all-purpose weapon--artificial human Evangelion!   
  
Shinji: So this is the thing that saved us earlier...   
  
Misato: Yes, it is, Shinji...she's the best-kept secret of Nerv, and she's just part of your father's work...   
  
Shinji: My father's...work?   
  
Gendo: That is correct.   
  
All three looked up to see Gendo looking down upon them from an exit to a hall way just above the Evangelion's head. Shinji and Gendo almost instantly met gazes with the former looking quite surprised. The latter, however, didn't seem that way.   
  
Shinji: D...Dad...!   
  
Gendo: It has been a while. Shinji, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. You are going to ride in her and battle and hope to exterminate the Angel.   
  
Shinji: ...!!   
  
Misato: (looking very surprised) But Commander... you should remember that it took Rei a long time to synchronize with the Eva! It's just *impossible* for a boy who just arrived today to pilot--   
  
Gendo: He only needs to sit in her. I'm not expecting more at this point.   
  
Misato: B, but--!   
  
Ritsuko: Captain Katsuragi, our overriding priority is to halt and repel the Angel! We cannot even hope to accomplish that unless we let someone, no matter who, who may be able to synchronize with the Eva to some extent...or would you like to share some other alternatives of your own?   
  
Misato: .....   
  
Shinji: (trembling in anger and fear) ...th...this is a joke, right? You're not serious about letting me die out there fighting that thing...are you...Dad...?   
  
Gendo: You're the only one we have at the moment. You don't need any details, just get inside.   
  
Shinji: (breathing hard) N...No!! I will NOT ride in her, no matter what! You've neglected me, abandoned me for God knows how long....and NOW you ask for favors?! I am not going to let myself be ordered to my death!   
  
Gendo: If you don't do as I say, all of humanity will perish. The very fate of mankind is placed in your hands now.   
  
Shinji: (loudly) *NO!!*   
  
Gendo: ...I see. I have no further need of you here. Go home to Side 7 for all I care...cowards are useless in a battle where man's future is at stake.   
  
The Ikari patriarch then turned around to contact his second commander through a small audio-visual communications link on what to do, since things have turned out this way.   
  
Gendo: /Fuyutsuki...I am afraid we shall have to use Rei again./   
  
Fuyutsuki: /Are you sure about this, Ikari-kun? She's terribly injured.../   
  
Gendo: /She's not dead. Have her brought here immediately./   
  
After Ritsuko had ordered the Nerv engineers on-hand to "reinitialize Eva Unit-01's systems for Rei", Shinji couldn't help but fall on his knees over what he had done. True, he was needed right now...but to fight the Angel was something very different of what he had expected. He just didn't want to die out there. Misato just watched in pity and felt very sorry for the poor boy.   
  
Moments later, the very same red-eyed albino girl of about the same age as Shinji with short, ice-blue hair was wheeled out carefully in a hospital bed, dextrose still attached to her arm and bandage still wrapped around most of her body. She was also wearing some sort of a white skin-tight pilot's suit that would almost show her slim figure, for a 14-year-old. Shinji and Misato saw this girl being wheeled out and the former kept his gaze fixed on her.   
  
The girl was truly a very pitiful sight for anyone to see.   
  
Gendo: Rei...our only replacement is useless. You must pilot the Eva again.   
  
Rei: (faintly, weakly) ...yes...sir...   
  
Rei tried desperately to even rise up from her sick bed. It suddenly dawned on Shinji as he watched on; they're gonna send *her* into battle in that condition...? What is his father thinking?   
  
There was a sudden blasting sound from outside of the room, which trembled as a result of the sound. All except Rei were taken by surprise by the noise and almost looked up to the ceiling in unison.   
  
Gendo: The Angel has discovered our location!   
  
Misato: The city blocks on the Geofront's ceiling dome are starting to fall!   
  
And indeed the city blocks from the Geofront's ceiling dome were starting to fall. People on-hand were staring to go to and fro across the room and took cover for their lives. Some of the room's ceiling lights fell near Rei's sick bed and caused Rei to fall down to the floor. By instinct, Shinji came to her side and tried desperately to help the poor girl up.   
  
He still couldn't believe his father would want to send this injured girl into battle with that...that Angel, that devil...   
  
Misato: Shinji, you must now realize that we really do need you. You told me earlier that even you knew you weren't going to celebrate some joyous reunion with your dad, right? You knew there was just some other reason why we reached out as far as your home in Side 7 just to get you, didn't you?   
  
Shinji: .....   
  
Misato: If you don't pilot the Eva now, that child in your arms would have to get inside the Eva again! Don't you have any shame, Shinji...?   
  
Gendo: Don't waste any more time on him, Captain Katsuragi. Shinji...if you're going to go home, don't dawdle...GET OUT OF HERE!   
  
The boy could do nothing more than clutch the girl in his arms and accept defeat. This is going to be the biggest day of his so-called life...he slowly lay the unconscious girl down on the floor and sighed.   
  
Shinji: ...all right...*Dad*...I'll do it. I just have to get in her, right...?   
  
Misato: (looking very concerned) Shinji...   
  
Ritsuko walked towards the boy and helped him to stand up. Shinji slowly looked up at his father and leered at him with much anger in his eyes as Gendo looked back at his son with a smirk on his face.   
  
Ritsuko: Well said, Shinji. Now let's come this way...I may have to give you a simple lecture on the controls and the Evangelion's operating systems...   
  
---   
  
As he sat on the Eva's entry plug cockpit, Shinji had nothing on his mind but hate for his father. He had thought that while his dad had never needed him for almost all fourteen years of his life, he had scorned on the idea that his dad made a mobile suit...a robot...that needed him.   
  
Shinji: (thinking) Tch...what a joke this is! Well, I'm up for the challenge...I am not afraid to die and I will definitely NOT let Dad call *me* a coward!   
  
Shinji waited as he felt his entry plug being inserted onto the back of the Eva while back in the Nerv control room, a female control room operator receives reports of confirmation of Shinji's entry into the Eva.   
  
Ritsuko: How's Shinji going, Lieutenant Ibuki?   
  
Maya: Plug lock-in procedure completed, ma'am. Initiating first level interface and flooding entry plug!   
  
Shinji's brow curled in wonder. "Flooding...?" What did she mean by...   
  
His eyes almost bugged out as a clear yellowish-orange liquid started to flood the confines of his cockpit and he was soon engulfed in the liquid up to his knees.   
  
Shinji: W...what the hell is THIS?!   
  
Ritsuko: /Do not be alarmed! Once your lungs are saturated with the LCL, you will be able to undergo direct oxygen exchange!/   
  
Misato: /You'll get used to it in a minute, Shinji! Don't worry about it!/   
  
Shinji had gulped deep as the yellow liquid had finally consumed him and filled the whole cockpit with it. He really did thought he was going to die in there...a few seconds later, after he had realized that he was able to "breathe" the liquid, a flurry of fancy lights had suddenly come in his sight. He didn't really know what was going to happen next now...   
  
Ritsuko: (watching Maya's monitor) This is incredible...synchronization errors are within 0.3%...Captain Katsuragi, this is going to work!   
  
Misato: Right. Evangelion Unit-01, prepare to launch!   
  
The primary and secondary locks and restraints binding the 40 meter-tall, thin, purple Evangelion Unit-01 had finally been released and was now being prepared to be transported above ground through an "elevator" of some sort. Misato turned towards her Commander after confirming reports of this. Gendo, seated and hunched on a heightened platform a bit above Misato and Ritsuko with his clasped fingers in front of his face, looked back calmly through his dark orange-colored eyeglasses.   
  
Misato: Commander Ikari, do we proceed?   
  
Gendo: Of course, Captain Katsuragi. If we fail to defeat the Angels, all of humanity will perish.   
  
Misato: (nods) Evangelion Unit-01, LAUNCH!!   
  
Shinji felt a sudden rush as his Eva was launched upwards to sea level. Much to his surprise, the sudden stop that he felt made him look face-to-face with the monstrosity that had been terrorizing Tokyo since that early afternoon. He breathed hard and deep and told himself, "This is it, Shinji..."   
  
Maya: /Releasing final safety locks!/   
  
Misato: LIFT OFF! (thinking) Good luck, Shinji...   
  
Shinji: R...right...   
  
Misato: /Try walking, Shinji!/   
  
Shinji: /Y...yeah, b-but how do I walk?/   
  
Misato: /Just concentrate and focus your thoughts on the concept of walking!/   
  
And Shinji did as he was told, "feeling" his Eva lift up a leg and stamp it on the ground as his first step. Realizing he couldn't stop "himself" from walking, he decided to charge wildly towards the Angel with a mighty yell. Misato and the others were watching as Shinji would be making a very terrible mistake.   
  
Misato: /Oh, no! Shinji, wait...!!/   
  
It was too late as Shinji had totally missed the Angel and tripped, landing face-first into a building. He tried to get up, only to see the Angel now standing behind him. Shinji could only gasp in terror as the Angel picked the Eva by its head and seemed to look back at him with what seemed to be its four "eyes" and in two faceless discs.   
  
Misato: /Shinji, get the hell out of there!! PLEASE!!/   
  
The Angel reached out for the Eva's right arm with its free hand and crushed and pulled it with unbelievable ease. Shinji just screamed in terror and pain as he "felt" his arm experiencing the same treatment as the Angel did his Eva.   
  
Misato: /Shinji, listen to me! What was trapped and dislocated wasn't *your* arm, okay?!/   
  
Maya: Arm has sustained damage! Disconnecting all circuits and rerouting connections!   
  
Misato: /Can't you do something, Ritsuko?! At this rate, he won't have a chance in combat!/   
  
Ritsuko: (thinking) This can't be happening...unless...unless the synchro frequencies have gone into hyper-fluctuation?!   
  
Ritsuko: Lt. Ibuki, can you lower the neural circuit feedback regulators a notch--or even two?!   
  
Maya: I'll give it a try!   
  
Shinji could now only gasp as he saw something flashing within the Angel's "hand", or claw, or whatever that's holding him up by the head. A powerful surge of energy suddenly blasted through the Eva's eyes and through its head. Shinji instantly experienced excruciating pain in his left eye, like it was the one blasted through with the sudden burst of energy and could only scream in terror. The impact of the blast sent the Eva hurling to a nearby building and crashed into it, the Eva slumping to the ground. Suddenly, the Eva's left eye seemed to explode in a fountain of blood; Misato, Ritsuko, Maya, and two other control room operators looking on in shock.   
  
Makoto: Degree of cranial damage unknown!   
  
Shigeru: Cutting power to control neurons! Reversing synchrographs!   
  
Makoto: P-pulse is...surging back!   
  
Misato: Pull the circuit manually! Just stop that flow!   
  
Maya: Negative! Signal's been rejected! It's refusing all input!   
  
Misato: What about Shinji?!   
  
Makoto: Monitors not responding--we can't tell if he's alive or dead! Unit-01 has gone completely silent!   
  
Misato: (sighing) All right, I'm suspending original orders! Pilot safety is now our only priority! Force ejection of the entry plug!   
  
Maya: ...th-there's no manual override! We've lost all contact with the Eva!   
  
---   
  
Shinji felt like he was floating in an endless pool of nothingness. It felt so warm and so free in here, he thought as he wondered where he was. It felt so much like...like his mother's arms cradling him as a baby.   
  
Shinji: Heh...I guess death isn't such a big deal after all...   
  
Shinji had suddenly felt like someone was grabbing him by the wrists. He looked around and saw...handcuffs?! What the hell were handcuffs doing here?! He gasped all of a sudden and thought...was he being arrested? No, it couldn't be! He's just a juvenile!   
  
Shinji: AAAAARGGGHHH!!! I swear to God, I'm not allied with the Zeon! Honest! Please don't arrest meeeeeee!!!!!!! I'M INNOCENT!!!!!!! MOMMY, DADDY, PLEASE HELP MEEEE!!!   
  
Shinji gulped as the darkness seemed to move, feeling an unknown force spreading his legs and arms wide. In the twinkling of an eye, there she was, wearing an utterly seductive, gorgeous, and sexy black dominatrix outfit and holding a cat-o'nine-tails whip. He couldn't really hide the bulge in front of his pants now as he saw the face of his redheaded tormentor grinning hugely and evilly...   
  
Shinji: A...ASUKA?! W-what the hell do you think you're DOING?!   
  
Asuka: O-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!! Hello, slave! Like my new threads? They're made with 100% knitted leather, you know. So tell me, slave...do you want me to give you a lot of lustful pleasure...or a whole world of excruciating pain, hmmmmmmmmmm? I'm feeling *REALLY* hot under these... (grinning evilly and teasingly rubbing her...)   
  
Shinji: Asuka, this isn't funny! Lemme go, dammit!   
  
Asuka: DON'T CALL ME ASUKA, SLAVE! Call me "Mistress", you disgusting little worm! Nnnrgh! (starts whipping Shinji's butt with her cat-o'nine-tails quite forcefully)   
  
Shinji: AAAAAAAAACKKKK, NOOOOOO!!!!! HELP ME, SOMEBODY!! MOMMY, DADDY, ANYBODY!!!!! AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!   
  
Asuka: Shut up, slave! O--HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!   
  
---   
  
As if it was some kind of a weird miracle, the Eva Unit-01's head suddenly looked up into heaven. It forced its jaw open and let out a horrendous roar that would want one of a weak heart to faint if he could ever hear it.   
  
Makoto: ...Unit-01 has reactivated! She's ripped off her own frontal shut-off joint!   
  
Ritsuko: But the synchrograph is still in the negative zone! She can't be moving...unless...oh my God...she's out of control?!   
  
The Eva rushed itself towards the Angel in all its rage. It jumped high above it, tumbling and turning like an acrobat, dodging every energy burst attack from the Angel and landed feet first at its face quite forcibly. The Angel was shooting wildly while the Eva just simply dodged it with incredible ease.   
  
Misato: What the hell's happening?! Is Shinji controlling the Eva?!   
  
Ritsuko: It is totally impossible! Just...just look at the way he's fighting...Shinji can't be at *this* level yet...!   
  
There was one person, however, who was not as panicky as everyone else in the Nerv control room who were watching the Evangelion make a killing of the Angel. Gendo Ikari's lip curled just a bit upward as he let out a faint chuckle and watched on.   
  
---   
  
Amuro: ...!!   
  
Even though he was quite a distance away from the fight between the Eva and the Angel, it all came to Amuro like a sudden flash of light that just went through his head. It was a feeling like...someone...or some*THING*...was getting very, very worked up in a fight somewhere near him. He denied the possibility that it could be Char once more...but then, Char might show up in the most unexpected of situations.   
  
But no, not like this.   
  
Chris: Sempai...? You doing okay there?   
  
Amuro: Uh...? Oh, Christina. It's okay, it just that...I think I need some more rest from that fight earlier...   
  
Chris sipped at her cup of coffee and gave Amuro a friendly little pat. She shook her head as she walked away from him, walking towards her blue Rick Dias gave Amuro a wave. She thought, so Amuro-sempai has another one of his Newtype "visions", huh. Who could it be now...?   
  
Who could it be now, indeed? Amuro asked himself. It couldn't possibly be Char, no way. Nor was it Lalah, he happens to know she's gone in a better place than this world already. In that brief flash of Newtype clairvoyance, he had resolved that the feeling he felt...was something even more powerful, something even more intense...   
  
Former Federal Forces and now Kalaba Lieutenant Senior Grade Amuro Ray just looked at his green Rick Dias and sighed. His thoughts had slowly drifted off into what had happened these past years that he's been away from action...   
  
---   
  
As its defense, the Angel generated for itself a "shield" of its own; it looked almost like a flat hexagonal board of light that suddenly appeared in front of the Angel and had stopped the Evangelion as it advanced towards it with its mighty and terrible howl and unstoppable ferocity.   
  
Misato: An A.T. field?!   
  
Ritsuko: So the Angels can generate A.T. fields of their own, too! The Eva can't possibly approach it as long as the Angel has that A.T. field up!   
  
To almost everyone's surprise, the Eva restored its right wrist as if it were rubber and started to resume its charge against the Angel, deploying its own A.T. field, thus neutralizing the Angel's A.T. field and forcing it open, leaving Misato gagged for the rest of the moment.   
  
The Angel fired a pair of beam energy bursts from its hollow eyes, but the Eva simply crossed its forearms and successfully deflected the attack, sending the Angel flying to a nearby building and crashed into it. Using other buildings as its pedestal, the Eva jumped up quite high and landed upon the Angel with full force.   
  
The Eva started to pound on the red sphere located somewhere in the Angel's "abdomen", and seeing this was a viable threat to its life, the Angel wrapped itself around the Eva, and a few seconds later, sacrificed itself by exploding. Misato, Ritsuko, and the other people at the Nerv HQ control room were just awed at what had just happened; they could not believe it all transpired in just a matter of minutes.   
  
The battle-hardened Evangelion Unit-01 walked through the flames that the Angel's explosion had caused. It was such a sight to see that the Eva was still standing after all that had happened.   
  
Maya: Life signs confirmed for both Unit-01 and pilot! Dispatching retrieval units! Contacting emergency crews--!!   
  
---   
  
Shinji found himself in a hospital bed. As the gentle wind from an open window blew at his face, he rose up, wondering what in the world had happened to him...whether it was all a dream or not.   
  
---   
  
The pitch-black room was only lit with the faint lamps that shone under their faces. This committee of five German elders and one middle-aged Japanese man were seated in a long, rectangular table and were discussing things that are not most likely to be publicly disclosed. Kiel Lorenz, the most elderly of the six and most probably this committee's leader, seated adjacently to the Japanese person on the other end of the table, looked up from his laptop computer and looked at him through some kind of weird, narrow eyeglasses.   
  
Kiel: Herr Ikari...this committee would like to point out to you that if you might use the Evangelions more...efficiently, if you will.   
  
Man 1: We've seen that you have almost destroyed Unit-01 on her maiden campaign. The repair bills will be so much of concern for us as it will definitely cost us more than what we have bargained for!   
  
Man 2: Herr Ikari, you must remember your primary obligations so as not to bankrupt this Committee so easily just as you have done!   
  
Man 3: Nerv and the Eva's are not your only concerns!   
  
Kiel: You must understand, Herr Ikari, that our goal of accomplishing the Human Instrumentality Project is, above anything else, representative of our greatest hopes in these desperate times! Where are your priorities?   
  
Gendo: I understand...   
  
Kiel: In any case, anything that will force a delay in the I.P. schedule that is attributable to the second coming of the Angels cannot and WILL not be allowed. Your budget requests will be considered, Herr Ikari.   
  
Man 4: Now, how is the Intel Op progressing?   
  
Gendo: No need for concern...that matter has already been dealt with.   
  
---   
  
Gendo's son wandered around the hospital. His mind was doing a little wandering around as well; he thought deep and hard if he just imagined what happened to him or not. He shook his head as images of his best friend clad in black leather whipping him real bad started coming back to him; he would never ever want to see Asuka like that. It was just too horrible a thought for him altogether.   
  
His thoughts wandered over to that TV report that he saw earlier as he was walking around in that hospital...it told nothing of the Eva's or the Angel whatsoever. He wondered if it was all a bad dream, whether he had piloted the Eva or not.   
  
Then he saw that girl--her name was Rei, wasn't it?--being wheeled away yet again in a hospital bed. Their gazes meet for just a fleeting moment, then as if from out of nowhere, his father came to her. It seemed to him as if Gendo was asking Rei something...and then Gendo's eyes rolled over to Shinji's. They stared at each other for a minute or so, then Gendo turned around and walked away, with Rei's doctors wheeling her bed away with her. Shinji could do nothing but just stand there watching his dad walk away just like that.   
  
Misato: (shaking her head) Tsk, tsk...he couldn't even say "thank you" to his son...makes me wonder sometimes why he summoned you here to Tokyo in the first place, Shinji...   
  
Shinji: (turning around) Misato...?   
  
Misato: (smiling) Hi there! Just came over to pick you up, you know. You should know I'm glad you're feeling good right now. Nerv HQ gave me instructions to inform you that you will be, from now on, living there with your father. Is that okay with you?   
  
Shinji: (sighs) Sure...but still...I don't know if it's okay with him. I don't think he wants me around anyway...I'll just be living alone. Now if you will excuse me, Misato...   
  
Misato: Oh, come on, don't be silly! Parents and children naturally live together--well, unless you're married now, that is, but I have doubts that you are, but still--   
  
Shinji: (louder tone) Didn't I tell you to please leave me alone, Misato? It's none of your business anyway!   
  
Misato: H...hey!! What's with THAT tone of voice? I'm just concerned for you, that's all--   
  
Shinji: (shouting) Don't you have enough to worry about?!   
  
The 29-year-old Nerv tactician raised her eyebrow and was sure that last comment from the boy was quite the last straw for her. She trembled as she reached over to her cellphone and leered at Shinji, which was making him quite a bit nervous now.   
  
Misato: ...you got a problem with me, boy? I'll fix that problem for you, if you don't mind...   
  
Shinji: Uh...you wouldn't dare...   
  
Misato: /Oh, hello, Ritsuko? Yeah, it's me. Shinji told me he's gonna live with me in my condo for a while soooo--/   
  
Shinji: WHAT THE HELL ARE Y--?!   
  
Misato: /Oh, don't worry too much about that, I'm not so desperate that I'd jump a child, you know. Just get me the proper approval from upstairs and everything will be fine. Shinji also said he'll be expecting his stuff immediately at my place, so just hurry it up, okay? Bye-bye Ri-chan!/ (turns off her cellphone)   
  
Ritsuko: /Hey, wait up! Captain Katsuragi--!!/   
  
Misato: There, that should do it! Let's get going, shall we?   
  
Shinji: Y...you have GOT to be kidding! Who are you to decide what I'm to do?! And why the hell do I have to live with you in the first place?!   
  
Misato: Will you SHUT UP ALREADY?!! (leers at Shinji) What part of "commanding officer" don't you understand?   
  
Shinji was just so helpless at the moment. He's seen those eyes before...he could not ever forget that moment when Asuka...no, this can't be! Aaaargh!! He just screamed for help inwardly as Misato started to drag Shinji, who was just so paralyzed at Misato leering at him.   
  
A few minutes later, Misato's car could be seen speeding off from the underground Nerv geofront into the surface. Misato was mentioning something about her and Shinji having a welcoming party for the boy as he was going to be her new roommate. Shinji didn't seem so enthusiastic as Misato was at the time and just looked out the window, depressed as he was. Misato just looked at him with much concern for him as she drove on...and had all of a sudden that they should take a little detour somewhere in the Tokyo highlands.   
  
Misato parked her Sentra somewhere beside the road and invited Shinji to go see something, but the boy was still unexcited about it all.   
  
Shinji: This doesn't look like a good site for a picnic...   
  
Misato: Damn it, Shinji! You aren't a very cute kid, you know that?! I just wanna show you something! (looks at her watch) It's almost time...   
  
And there truly was a sight to see as Shinji viewed the place where the Angel had attacked; there were buildings rising from the ground. In his whole life of living in Side 7, he had never seen something like this.   
  
Shinji: Whoa...nobody ever told me Japan had this kind of technology...I mean, do you see that? Those buildings are just coming out of the ground like plants!   
  
Misato: Well, Japan does have this kind of technology...at least it's just true for Tokyo. And they're not just any buildings...this is our patented "anti-Angel siege fortress"...*our* city! No, it's more than that...it's the city *you* defended!   
  
That made Shinji gasp in surprise as Misato's comment struck him through the heart.   
  
Shinji: B...b-but...I...I didn't really...I didn't really do it because it was for mankind or for that girl's sake or anything...it wasn't anything selfless like that...   
  
Misato: I know...but no matter what your motives were, you did quite well. You should have more confidence in yourself.   
  
Tears started to stream down Shinji's face. It wasn't until Shinji started sobbing that Misato turned around and tried to console with him.   
  
Misato: Shinji? Oh, dear--hey...d-did I say something wrong?   
  
Shinji: (sobbing and wiping his tears off) N...no...it's just that...Misato, I...I just wanted to hear those words...from him...   
  
The sunset made a silhouette of the pair as they looked on at Tokyo's magnificence. Soon enough, Misato drove Shinji back to her condo as darkness started to set in and totally swallowed the sky.   
  
  
To be continued   
---   
  
Hi again, kids. Well, as of this typing, it's 11:00 AM of April 23, 2001 and I'm feeling just a bit okay (I guess). I'm also thinking of a lot of other things at the moment, mostly if I will ever finish college in time and if I'll ever get out of this daily cycle of life called "unemployment". Not that you or anyone who's care to do an MST'ing of this fanfic would care anyway, I just thought that I'd tell you.   
  
Well, what of Chapters 5 and 6? I'm thinking of finally having to mix in the two series, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and just get on with the story. Some people in the Gundam Mailing List (gundam@aeug.org) are suggesting a lot of things for this fanfic and frankly I'm VERY MUCH THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HELPED ME. And for all of you who didn't, well...I'd have to thank you too as well. It's okay, really. ;)   
  
Again, C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE.   
  
Till next episode, "you'll see the tears of time."....   
  
P.S. I would just like to take this time to thank the few humble people   
who were responsible in the help of making this fic in its most presentable   
form:   
  
- Mrs. Cindy Genato (cindygenato@cheerful.com) for volunteering to beta-read   
this piece of trash for me. Thanks be to you, old friend! Regards to your   
husband, by the way! :p   
  
- Jean Pierre Domingo (kaiser_reinhardt@yahoo.com), my college schoolmate and   
the bestest friend anyone could ever have. He's the one responsible for   
getting me into Gundam in the first place (and learning that Gundam Wing   
ISN'T the only Gundam series out there worth watching...if ever Gundam Wing   
*is* worth watching at all...UH-UH, no flames, please!   
  
- Rachel Grey (elfbard@iprimus.com.au), my one and only sweet and loving   
(and lovely!) girlfriend, who's also an Evangelion otaku like I am and   
who has been more than an inspiration for me to make this fic. She's   
also helped in some parts of the fic. Honey, I love you more than you   
will ever know and I just hope someday that we'll finally meet. :)   
  
- Those people from the Gundam Mailing List (gundam@aeug.org) who helped me   
through their wonderful suggestions to me. More power to all of you in your   
dealings with mankind and such. I bid thee and thine good tidings.   
  
- Gainax and Bandai for producing such spectacular anime mecha series such   
as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Mobile Suit Gundam. Thanks be to you, folks.   
  
And last, but not the least:   
  
- I would like to thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read my   
work. I really appreciate it and hope by your reading of this, it will give   
me more inspiration to write some more.   
  
(Author's note: The Zeon's MS-06 Zaku II and the Titans'/Federation's RMS-106 Zaku II [actually the RMS-106's model name should be "Hizack" instead of "Zaku II" but I intended it to be named that way for personal reasons] are both of essentially the same design but the latter was further customized for Federation use and was therefore the most commonly mass-produced Federation mobile suit by U.C. 0087.) 


	3. Hedgehog's Dilemma Rei I

With the few days of Shinji's stay in Misato's apartment, he discovered quite a lot of things about his pretty 29-year-old roommate. First off, she was quite the slob (the moment Shinji stepped into Misato's apartment, there was just this big pile of trash on her dinner table that seemed to be last night's dinner). Second, she was quite a drunk (there was a time when he wanted to get something from her fridge and all he saw was that it was chock full of beer cans and nothing else). Third, she had a really weird pet: a strange-looking penguin that likes to immerse itself in hot water. Misato explains that Penpen was a new breed of penguin that was discovered at the time of the Second Impact.   
  
As Misato assigns various household chores to Shinji by way of a little game of rock-paper-scissors, the boy sighed and wondered what he had gotten himself into. But in all of that wondering, he had thought Misato was such a fun person to be with after all, even though she was more than two times his age...almost like Asuka, even. It would be very strange, though, that Shinji hadn't mentioned anything about Asuka during those few days that he would be staying with Misato, Penpen...and Nerv.   
  
  
********************   
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover   
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)   
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.   
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.   
All rights reserved.   
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments. I'm serious, folks.   
********************   
  
[Act 3]   
  
Episode 5, "Hedgehog's Dilemma"   
-------------------   
  
Shinji was quite the fast learner in terms of his training as a pilot of the Evangelion Unit-01, so much that Ritsuko had almost wondered that, since she knew he had lived in space for so long, if he was a Newtype, like what the late patriarch of Side 3's fallen Duchy of Zeon, Zeon Zum Daikun, had theorized. Shinji's synchronization rate with Unit-01 had been somewhat more exceptional that that of the girl Rei in the course of her days as the original pilot of Unit-01. His reflexes as shown in the anti-Angel battle simulator had also been impressive, as he had possessed quite the prowess as an Eva pilot...   
  
...but it was not so for the pilot himself. Shinji was still feeling depressed as far as his relationship with his father, the Nerv Supreme Commander, was concerned. He didn't really want to hate Gendo; but what could he do after being neglected for so long? Somehow, the moment he set foot on Tokyo, Shinji had felt like he had been slowly drifting away...   
  
---   
  
The Agama, the Mont Blanc, and the Radish leave Osaka fully supplied once more and turned their course towards Tokyo. The AEUG had apparently been informed that one of their formidable allies, a little-known offshoot of the Federal Forces named the "Kalaba", were currently summoned to Tokyo for some sort of a "covert defense operation". It wasn't particularly clear if it was an anti-Titans operation or not.   
  
Hayato Kobayashi, one of the original Pegasus White Base crew and now apparently associated with the Kalaba, had agreed to go with the AEUG in search of their Kalaba comrades. Hayato, a chubby man in his middle twenties, had once been the pilot of the RX-75 Guntank when he was still with the 13th Autonomous Corps. Hayato also explains to two of the top AEUG officers, Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina and Supreme Commander Brex Forra, how the Kalaba had come to acquire into their ranks a certain Federal Forces Lieutenant j.g. Amuro Ray.   
  
Hayato: He sure looked different the last time I saw him. I almost pitied his Godforsaken pacifist attitude in this whole Titans situation because he had been off duty for a long period of time now and was missing all the action; good thing he had managed to escape custody from his home in Wyoming and come to us. I was sure the Kalaba were already a force to be reckoned with once I heard that Amuro had joined us.   
  
Brex: Indeed. His work as a Gundam pilot had been far more than exceptional in the old days. (looks at Quattro) Isn't that right, Lieutenant?   
  
Brex wasn't a Newtype himself, but he could clearly sense something from Quattro the moment Hayato had explained to them that Amuro would have probably been their ally now. The old AEUG leader knows for a fact that Amuro and Quattro...or in other words, Char...had once been bitter enemies fighting for opposite sides. He had put a lot of thought into what would happen if Amuro finds out he had been fighting alongside his old enemy Char Aznable.   
  
Quattro: ...yes, most definitely.   
  
---   
  
Shinji, who had apparently been assigned to go to a certain senior high school near Nerv Headquarters and Misato's place of residence, was currently being bored to death at his class. The old professor was discussing things and stuff about the Second Impact...and before Shinji would drift off into sleeping, he turned around slightly to look at one of his female classmates: that very same girl with ice-blue short hair and ruby-red eyes named Rei looking out the window in a spaced-out manner. She was still in bandages and looking very helpless indeed.   
  
He wondered if what kind of a girl this Rei is...she always looks so sullen and like everything's just passing by her...   
  
After all of them have been dismissed, two female students stood before Shinji as if they were putting the boy under interrogation.   
  
Female Classmate A: Hey, you--Ikari's your name, right? How come you transferred here just when people are starting to evacuate?   
  
Shinji: Ummm...w-well...   
  
Female Classmate A: So the rumor's true, isn't it?   
  
Shinji: What rumor...?   
  
Female Classmate B: Don't play dumb! You're that mobile suit's pilot!   
  
Female Classmate A: Is it true?   
  
Shinji looked at these two girls who were looking back at him with "those" eyes again. He couldn't possibly stand it if girls were leering at him like that asking him about something or confronting him like they were doing right now.   
  
Shinji: (looking very worried) I-I-it's...true...   
  
Female Classmate A and B: (gasping) Oh my God, I knew it! It's true!   
  
Male Classmate A: That is so COOL! How'd they choose you?! Was there a test or something? Hey guys, it was true--he WAS in that mobile suit!   
  
Female Classmate A: So what was it like piloting that mobile suit?   
  
Shinji: Ummm...it's...it's not a mobile suit per se...it's a...   
  
Male Classmate B: Oh, whatever! Weren't you scared or something? Does it have some kind of a special attack or something?   
  
Others: Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, etc...   
  
Shinji: Uhh...heh heh..."special attack"?   
  
Female Classmate C: Well, tell us *this*... (looking scared) ...what *was* that monster that we saw? Is it some kind of a Zeon new mobile suit or mobile armor or something...? It was really scary...   
  
Shinji: (suddenly frowning at the question) I...I don't know either. I think they called it an "Angel" or something like that...but it seemed like nobody really knew what it was exactly...   
  
Male Classmate C: (angrily) You think yer all that, but ya don't know nuthin', do ya? What the hell are ya--stupid?!   
  
All of Shinji's classmates turned around to see a sort of a callow youth about everybody else's age wearing a sports jacket. Everyone's yammering simmered down slowly into silence as this boy was leering angrily at Shinji.   
  
Male Classmate D: Toji!   
  
Female Class President: Oh, it's you, Suzuhara! You missed a whole week of school without permission...   
  
Toji: Shaddup! (points at Shinji) Yo, new kid! Step outside, NOW!   
  
---   
  
Male Classmate D: Toji, maybe you shouldn't...   
  
Toji: I got all o' this under control, Kensuke. Okay, transfer student, you listen up...my younger sis was hurt bad n' she's still in da hospital! My dad and Gramps work in your labs, an' I'm the only one who can stay with her...I dun' mind goin' there, but supposin' she ends up wid' some scar? She'll never be a babe! Dontcha feel sorry for her? An' whose fault d' ya think it was?!   
  
Shinji: .....   
  
Toji: (points at Shinji) It's YOUR fault! She was like under a lot of debris because YOU hadta go crashin' around! Don't think yer so hot because they're all over ya!   
  
Shinji: (blinks and shrugs innocently) Sorry.   
  
The nerdy-looking spectacle-clad Kensuke tried to restrain the raging Toji from jumping the hapless Shinji. Toji just couldn't keep his anger in check as he felt that this mere transfer student was insulting him.   
  
Toji: Ya think "sorry"'s gonna make it all up ta' my sister?! Why I oughta--!!   
  
Kensuke: No, don't--!!   
  
Shinji: (sarcastically) So what do you want me to do? Kneel down and beg for forgiveness?   
  
The sound of a neatly-placed punch to the face echoed throughout the school's back alley as Shinji fell to the ground reeling from the blow that Toji had just given him. Kensuke had apparently failed to hold Toji back and was just too surprised at what had just happened.   
  
Kensuke: H...Hey! You can't just go around hitting important pilots!   
  
Toji: (tauntingly) You want a piece of me, boy? Come get some!   
  
Shinji: (brushing off the dirt off his clothes) ...so tell me, don't you get worn out from being angry all the time...?   
  
From those words coming out of a new student, they came pretty sharp as a knife to the heart to Toji. Toji was just so pissed off at the moment that he's wanted to smack more than Shinji's face right now at the boy's quite insulting attitude towards him. It was almost like he was deliberately playing it dumb while making a fool of Toji, who was now spouting curses at Shinji and was being restrained by Kensuke.   
  
Female Class President: THAT WILL BE ENOUGH! Get back to the classroom RIGHT NOW!   
  
Toji: Tch...it's President Hikari.... (after being calmed down a bit, turns to Shinji) Listen up, putz--just a little advice, next time when yer inna fight watch where ya puttin' yer friggin' feet, GOT DAT?! Er....you can leggo of me now, Kensuke...   
  
From their classroom, Rei Ayanami just stared at the events that just happened like it was nothing to her. She showed no sign of emotion whatsoever and just gazed at Shinji blankly, who was rubbing his bruised cheek.   
  
---   
  
Another afternoon, another Eva battle simulation test. But from what Misato had seen in Shinji this afternoon, he seemed a little off, to say the least. She wondered if her little roommate had something on his mind again...she and Ritsuko discussed about it and wondered if Shinji really was the one of the right persons for defeating the Angels.   
  
Misato: I mean, you'd think his relatives back in Side 7 should have checked up on him to see how he's doing by now, right?   
  
Ritsuko: Yes, I guess you're right. Why do you suppose they haven't?   
  
Misato: I guess...I guess this is the only place left for him to go...   
  
Shinji was in deep thought as he was sitting in the confines of his LCL-filled cockpit of his Eva Unit-01. True, the moment he moved to Earth and involuntarily made an Eva pilot was just the start of his troubles--the start of a feeling of being an "outsider" to the world. It's just like when something sad, or painful, or terrible happens to him, he feels as if though there's another of himself watching all of it, telling him, "That's not me."   
  
He just has to hide in his shell of emotions way deeper than he does, he thought, so that he won't have to be hurt or feel anything at all.   
  
---   
  
The next day, Shinji was doing another one of his rounds of being Mr. Lonesome at the top floor of his school. He was leaning over the railings that would keep him from falling over and was just minding his own business listening to Beethoven on his Walkman as usual when a familiar voice came from behind him sounding very pissed off.   
  
Toji: Hah! Would ya look at dat...da tragic hero all by his lonesome again!   
  
Shinji: (turning around to give a sour expression) You guys again...what the hell do you want from me now?   
  
Kensuke: (waving at Shinji) Er...hi there...   
  
Toji: IDIOT! Why would we want anything from YOU?!   
  
Shinji: Then you REALLY must be bored to check up on me here for no reason. Just leave me alone, willya?   
  
Toji: I may not have a reason to be talkin' to you...but I sure hate yer guts, boy! Dun' try lookin' so innocent on me now, I just know yer--   
  
Shinji: So you just came here to pick a fight with me...all right. If you don't like my attitude, I'll apologize. But then, it's over. It's just that I can't really afford to worry about how you'll feel everytime I do something.   
  
Toji: ...!   
  
Shinji: I can't be bothered by total strangers like you, Suzuhara. I'll see you later, then.   
  
Toji: Hey, come back here! You can't just walk away!   
  
Shinji: You want to punch me again? Fine by me, just that this time...don't hold back. Give it all you've got, if you're such a tough guy like you are. You can even push me off this roof if you want to. Well, don't just stand there...   
  
Toji: .......FINE!! (grabbing Shinji's collar) You asked for it! I'm gonna mrderize ya, ya little twerp!   
  
Kensuke: (trying to restrain Toji) Come on, man! Cut it out!   
  
The three boys never noticed the still-bandage-clad Rei coming up from behind them and rendering Toji and Kensuke as if they were paralyzed by her sudden presence.   
  
Rei: Ikari-kun...we have an emergency. I'll meet you at headquarters. Goodbye... (runs away)   
  
Shinji: Err...hey, wait up! Ayanami! (chases up behind Rei)   
  
The two boys almost gagged at what had just happened. Toji seethed in anger as Shinji had easily slipped out of his grip so easily just like that.   
  
Kensuke: ....   
  
Toji: ....   
  
Kensuke: Gee, that was fast...   
  
---   
  
Amuro: Another emergency?   
  
Chris: Yeah, we'll have to get going real fast as some of our people tell us another one of those weird "things" has come up in Tokyo Bay once again. What do you suppose they are, sempai...?   
  
Amuro: (shaking his head) I dunno, Christina. The last one we saw didn't look like any kind of mobile suit--or anything mechanical even--at all...sure looked like it was almost *alive* or something...let's just get prepared already. Ready your men right now and we'll all rendezvous at the vantage point in Tokyo Bay. On the double.   
  
Chris: (saluting) Yes sir!   
  
---   
  
Maya: Tokyo confirmed to have been transformed to battle mode!   
  
Misato: Right. ALL PERSONNEL, PREPARE FOR LEVEL ONE COMBAT!! /Shinji, can you hear me?/   
  
The Ikari youngster, now clad in a blue-and-white skin-tight suit similar to that which Rei had worn the first time they met, stood by in the cockpit of his Eva-01, seemingly oblivious to all that has been happening outside. Even more so oblivious to his commanding officer's simple question.   
  
Misato: /Can you HEAR me, Shinji?!/   
  
Shinji: /...I hear you, Misato. You don't have to yell at me like I'm deaf./   
  
The Nerv tactician clad in her trademark red jacket uniform and short tight-fitting one piece outfit just blinked for a second then tried hard to hide her sour facial expression and seethed. So he's still in a rotten mood, I see, she thought as Ritsuko looked at her, blinking.   
  
Misato: And so the fourth Angel attacks with the Commander being away...I don't believe this, but, oh, well...   
  
Makoto: There was no sign of them for about seven years before that last attack! This time only five days have passed!   
  
Misato: Yeah. They just don't consider what's convenient for us. Women hate their kind.   
  
---   
  
The fourth Angel looked more like a large stingray or a manta ray with a large, fat tail instead of the stingray's usual thin tail, with little insect-like legs or feelers under it and two large arm-like structures that were clasped together as if the Angel were in prayer. The Angel also had two eye-like on both sides of its "head", and was now floating over Tokyo. Amuro Ray's mobile suit squadron stood by as an ambush attack against the Angel with his female wingman Christina MacKenzie.   
  
Seeing that this was the right time to attack, he fired a flare from one of his Gundam's "fingers" signaling for his squadron to attack the Angel, which they did so much forcefully than before, firing beam rifles at the Angel to no avail. Amuro had thought he had penetrated this tough cookie's skin but even now he began to doubt his own ability to exterminate this new foe. As the Angel floated towards a certain direction, Amuro, with a loud yell, fired the last of his beam rifle charges at the Angel, unknowingly fueling his state of being ticked off with a surge of Newtype force, but it seemed that some sort of a hexagonal shield had blocked these attacks. Seeing this, Chris followed suit and fired at the Angel with the last of her beam sniper rifle charges, but it seemed that the Angel was oblivious to all their attacks.   
  
---   
  
Fuyutsuki: What a waste of taxpayers' money!   
  
Indeed, ordinary beam rifle attacks couldn't possibly even cause a scratch to a typical Angel, Misato thought to herself as she saw on a big status monitor in Nerv's main control room what was happening outside. As she knew who was piloting the RX-78 Gundam, it was a pity, she also thought, that even Amuro Ray couldn't even lay a scratch to the Angel. But then she could have sworn the Angel had produced an A.T. field with that last beam rifle attack...   
  
Shigeru: Captain Katsuragi, ma'am, we've received word that the Committee is demanding immediate dispatch of the Eva!   
  
Misato: (sighs) I wish they'd just get off my case. I was going to launch it anyway. /Shinji, get ready for launch anytime soon./ (thinking) An A.T. field? I don't know much about Newtypes, but...it's also possible we might not need Unit-01 for this mission at all...let's just see what happens next...   
  
---   
  
In an underground shelter somewhere in Tokyo, Kensuke Aida cursed under his breath as he just viewed those familiar words again upon the screen of his digital video camera that was hooked up to a live television feed.   
  
Kensuke: Aww, damn! They're doing it again! See it for yourself, Toji!   
  
Toji: (reading) ...mmm, "A state of emergency was declared for the Kanto District, centering around the Tokai region..." Geez, Kensuke...you really git off on dis kind of stuff, huh?   
  
Kensuke: (clasping his hands) Man, I just gotta see it once...this is such a big thing for me, Toji! We might never get another chance!   
  
Toji: (mimicking Kensuke) "We might never git anotha chance", yeah right, man. (sighs) Hey waitaminnit, man. What's with that look of yers again...? You're not tellin' me...   
  
Kensuke: (whispering) Let's sneak out, Toji.   
  
Toji: Are you NUTS, man?! We'll git killed, yo!   
  
Kensuke: Shhhhh, be quiet, stupid! You say we'll die if we go out there? Well, lemme inform you that might also happen if we just stay in here. 'Sides, don't you have an obligation to watch this battle?   
  
Toji: (raising an eyebrow) What's dat supposed t' mean?   
  
Kensuke: Well, Ikari's big weird-looking purple mobile suit saved us all in that last fight, man. You didn't think about that before you decked him. Don't you think you owe him one?   
  
That got the Fila sweatsuit-wearing kid thinking for a minute. He suddenly rose up from where he and Kensuke were sitting and stretched around.   
  
Toji: Naaaaaah! Y'know what, if you're really into dis stuff I won't really stop ya. Heh, maybe I'll go with ya so you won't hurt yerself or anything.   
  
Kensuke: Hmm-hmm, whatever you say...heh heh, but it seems to me that you're starting to feel sorry for hitting Ikari back there, am I right?   
  
Toji: Wh...what the hell?! I'll show ya feelin' sorr--OOF! (gets his mouth covered with Kensuke's hand)   
  
Kensuke: Ummm, Miss Class President, I...think we need to go take a leak, may we have your permission? (grins at her stupidly)   
  
Their class president Hikari Horaki turns her head around slightly and looked at the two boys as she didn't want to be disturbed from what she and her other friends or fellow officers were doing.   
  
Hikari: All right, but just hurry it up, okay?   
  
---   
  
Soon enough the Eva Unit-01 was "released" from its cage (its containment facility within the Nerv Headquarters) and was launched into the surface. Shinji kept in mind Ritsuko's instructions to him, to "neutralize the enemy's A.T. field and repeat fire. Just like in practice". Actually, he had mixed feelings on going on with this fight or not; he felt like he was just being used as a mere tool, a mere weapon, and not as a person.   
  
What else could he feel after seeing that "Third Child Supervision Report" notebook in Misato's bedroom just yesterday night? He could clearly remember those words inscribed in Misato's notebook, about his fight with Toji Suzuhara, about his first coming into Tokyo...   
  
[flashback, dinner at Misato's condo]   
  
Misato: If you keep piloting the Eva like you don't care, you'll be dead before you know it! You realize that the lives of all mankind are in your hands now, do you?!   
  
Shinji: That's okay. I DON'T care. Doesn't matter anyway when I die...   
  
Misato: (slams her beer can into the table) Now what the hell are you saying?! You may feel fine about dying, but the rest of us aren't quite ready for it yet! You're an important pilot to us! And your body doesn't belong to you anymore!   
  
That had just been the last straw. Shinji looked into Misato's eyes with much scorn and left the dinner table, replacing the chair behind him into its place quite properly and calmly. Misato and her pet penguin, Penpen, just looked at him curiously as he left.   
  
Misato: Where do you think you're going? Get back here, young ma--   
  
Shinji: You made your point, all right?! I get it. All I have to do is beat the bad guys, right? I'm going to bed now. Good NIGHT, Misato.   
  
Misato just blinked curiously and scratched her head. Bouncy as she was in her flimsy spaghetti-strap tank top and very short denim shorts, she just faced her pet penguin with a bewildered look on her face as the door to Shinji's room slammed shut.   
  
Misato: Well, how about *that*...looks like he'd in a bad mood.   
  
Penpen: ...squawk?   
  
[end flashback]   
  
Meanwhile, the two boys from Shinji's class were climbing up the stairs leading up to a Shinto shrine just a bit far from where the verdant and the cerulean Rick Diases, and their now-small mobile suit squadron were now making attacks against the Angel. Toting his trusty digital video camera, Kensuke raced Toji to the top stairs and took pictures of the ensuing battle with that ever-present dedication of a true fan to military mechanics.   
  
Toji: (panting) Geez, Kensuke...I dint know you'se fast wdi da runnin'...maybe you should join our track n' field club at school instead of just bummin' 'round doin' dat stuff ya do!   
  
Kensuke: Oooooh, there it is! Hmm...but why do you think the Feddies are using such neat-looking mobile suits? They almost look like...Zeonic in design, if I'm not mistaken. This is just too weird...   
  
Toji: Man, what the HELL are you talkin' about?! You're boring me to death wid' dat mech n' tech talk of yours, just git to th--what the, y-yer right! (squints at a sight from a distance) Weird-lookin' mobile suits indeed...   
  
Kensuke: Oh, shut your piehole already, Toji! Just sit there and watch them fight that...err, I think Ikari called that big dildo-looking kind of thing an "Angel" or something like that...   
  
Toji: (winces) *That's* an "Angel"? It looks real disgustin' ta' me...   
  
Kensuke: Let's just wait and see if Ikari's mobile suit comes up any time soon now...oh no wait, there it is, look! Man, I knew it was worth all the while sneaking out here! Ooooh baby, this is a dream come true for me!   
  
Kensuke pointed to the Eva Unit-01 standing erect and still not being released from it final safety locks. Toji, however, didn't feel as enthusiastic as kensuke was in watching all of this, but he still watched on.   
  
Shinji looked at a little holographic window that suddenly appeared in the lower right portion of his range of sight. It pictured a young man in his twenties wearing a standard Federal Forces pilot's helmet and jumpsuit.   
  
Amuro: /Thank God you guys finally came! I thought we were gonna die out here with this tough bastard killing off my men! What took you people so long?/   
  
Shinji: /S...Sorry.../   
  
The veteran Federal Forces mobile suit pilot just stopped in his tracks a bit and raised an eyebrow. A boy? Amuro said to himself. So they're once again using children as weapons to fight, huh...I guess Japan must be so desperate as to fighting these...monsters...   
  
Amuro's thoughts went over slightly to the days when he was fighting his old enemy Char Aznable. He, too, was but a lad when he first got into the service of the Federal Forces...dismissing these thoughts, he then finally faced Shinji in the visual comm link and tried to make a small conversation with him.   
  
Amuro: /Well, are you really up to this, boy? You could get killed fighting./   
  
Shinji: /...I don't care. I just want this thing to get over with so I could go home./   
  
Amuro: /Very well./   
  
Chris: /Amuro-sempai, the thing seems to be standing up on its tail and is ready to attack!/   
  
Amuro: /All right. All men, get ready for counterattack procedures!/   
  
Shinji just picked up a pallet rifle (one of the Eva's weapons that acts like a standard submachinegun) from one of the "fake" buildings that served as anti-Angel weapons storage facilities for Unit-01 and fired at the target. Too bad, though, his attacks were just making up a lot of smoke and it seemed that he wasn't entirely hitting the target at all.   
  
Misato: /IDIOT! Who told you to fire like that?! Of course you're not gonna see the target through all that mess! You have to calm down a little bit and stop firing at once!/   
  
Turning a deaf ear to his commanding officer, Shinji never did stop firing until his ammunition was out. This prompted the Angel, who had apparently unclasped its "hands" and grew a pair of whip-like structures from these "hands", to attack Unit-01 with its whips, grabbing the one of the Eva's legs and letting Shinji trip over from where he was standing.   
  
Too taken by surprise from what had just happened, he just gasped in surprise as he was getting whipped by the Angel. Amuro took action and tried to penetrate through the Angel's defenses with a beam saber melee attack, with Chris attempting to follow behind and do the same thing.   
  
Again, that same hexagonal shield of light had blocked Amuro's attack against the Angel, but that didn't stop him from his determination to defeat this monster. As he was finally getting to be successful in penetrating the Angel's A.T. field, the Angel grabbed one of the green Rick Dias' feet and hurled it too forcibly into one of the fake buildings.   
  
As the Angel resumed its primary objective of destroying Unit-01, Toji was just getting a little bit ticked off at these events while Kensuke filmed away with his camera.   
  
Toji: Ikari's gettin' trashed already! I coulda done better than dat!   
  
Kensuke: D-don't worry, man, he's just getting a little bit warmed up!   
  
Shinji tried to get up, but it seemed all was too late as the Angel closed in on him and started to whip wildly at Unit-01, which just rolled over a little from where it was sitting and dodges the Angel's attack totally. The Angel continued to whip at the Eva, with Shinji simply dodging its attacks jumping around briskly here and there.   
  
Unfortunately however, one of the Angel's whips had severed the Eva's power supply cable attached on its back. A little digital timer inside the cockpit of Shinji's Eva-01 and at the same time, the big observation monitor on the Nerv Control Room, suddenly reset itself and indicated "0:04:59".   
  
Shigeru: Umbilical cable severed! Eva has switched over to internal batteries and has only two minutes remaining!   
  
Misato: What the hell...?! /Shinji, you've got four minutes and 53 seconds of Active Time remaining! You have to defeat the Angel right away! Hurry and stand up!/   
  
The Angel did an encore of what it did to the green Rick Dias earlier and hurled the Eva face first into a nearby hill with a Shinto shrine on top. Shinji yelled at the top of his lungs as he was falling down hard.   
  
Toji and Kensuke feared for their lives as they saw the Eva falling towards them and tried to make a break for it. The two boys sweated furiously as they opened their eyes and saw that they were just between the Eva's fingers at the center of its fall.   
  
Shinji turned over to his monitor and saw these two fellows again cringing in terror. He thought as he identified the two, what the hell are these two doing here? Weren't they supposed to be in a shelter or something?!   
  
Misato: Aren't they Shinji's classmates?   
  
Ritsuko: Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida...it seems that they are...but what on Earth are they doing out there? Aren't they supposed to be in one of our shelters?   
  
Misato: /Get up, Shinji!/   
  
It was almost too late as the Angel, now looming over the Eva, lashed out at Shinji with both of its whips. Luckily enough, Shinji caught these two whips and risked his hands feeling the burn that these whips were doing to his Eva.   
  
Toji: Why don't he just get clear?!   
  
Kensuke: He can't because *we're* here! If he moves, we're dead!   
  
---   
  
Makoto: Unit-01's Active Time remaining, three minutes and thirty seconds!   
  
Misato: Shhh...shit!! /Shinji, fall back for now! Just concentrate on getting up, help will be on the way in a while!/   
  
Shinji: (thinking) Easy for you to say... (looks at Kensuke and Toji, who are looking really terrified by now) ...if I screw up and squash those two...fuck it, what am I gonna do now...?   
  
Shinji pushed some controls on his right controlling handle and in a few moments, the white test tube-like entry plug from the back of the Eva just ejected a bit so the other two boys could see it.   
  
Shinji: /C'mon, get in!/   
  
Toji: H...he jus' told us to geddin dat thing!   
  
Kensuke: Let's hurry up and go!   
  
Misato was just so surprised at this sudden turn of events as she watched Shinji's two classmates climb into the entry plug.   
  
Misato: /What the hell do you think you're doing?! You can't let unauthorized civilians into the entry plug!/   
  
The two boys were surprised at what they had come to meet inside the Eva's entry plug: they could have sworn it was filled with this water-like fluid and thought they were going to drown, but soon enough found out that this was a breathable liquid. And in all that, they saw the pilot whom they were floating behind at.   
  
Toji: ...YOU!!   
  
Shinji: You two keep quiet back there! You're distracting me!   
  
---   
  
Maya: We're detecting irregularities in the nervous system!   
  
Ritsuko: It's because he's taken on two foreign bodies; there's noise mixed in with the nerve pulses!   
  
Misato: /You idiot! You're supposed to ask me for orders first before letting in those two!/   
  
Shinji just couldn't take it anymore and cursed under his breath, kicking the Angel far away into the city again. He never noticed the green and blue Rick Diases were already on their way to have at it, but Shinji had more on his mind than worrying about his allies.   
  
Misato: /Now fall back and use the retrieval route just to the eastern side of the mountain. Do it on the double!/   
  
Shinji kept silent through all of this as he made the effort of making his Eva stand up. His eyes grew smaller as he replayed all those events that had happened last night and grit his teeth a little.   
  
Toji: Hey, idio--I mean, Ikari, she's tellin' ya to fall back now!   
  
Shinji: ...no way.   
  
Toji and Kensuke: WHAAAAAT?!   
  
Toji: Are you crazy?! You'll get us killed!!   
  
Shinji: I won't turn tail for her...   
  
---   
  
From the wide armor plates on the sides of the Eva's shoulders, Shinji had drawn a knife-like weapon and started to charge at the fallen Angel, which was currently being whipped away by the two Rick Diases and what was left of the small Federation mobile suit squadron.   
  
Makoto: Progressive knife has been drawn!   
  
Misato: Ohhh NOOOO! /Shinji, why the fuck won't you follow my orders?! I said, FALL BACK!!/   
  
Apparently, the Angel saw Shinji coming and, totally ignoring the mobile suits attacking it, lunged its whips at the Eva's sides and pierced them through. All of the people in the Nerv Control Room, and probably Amuro and Chris too, were just shocked as Shinji retaliated with an upward stab with the Eva's progressive knife into the Angel's red globular "core" just under its ugly "head". Kensuke and Toji screamed in terror as Shinji drove the knife deeper into the Angel's core.   
  
Maya: ...27, 26, 25, 24, 23...   
  
Misato: (thinking) What the hell are you thinking, Shinji...?   
  
Amuro: ...this is...   
  
Chris: ...just too much...   
  
Toji: Ikari...   
  
Maya: Ten seconds of Active Time remaining! ...9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3...   
  
Shinji: ...tch...!!   
  
Maya: ...two, one, zero...   
  
The blood and the sparks had stopped gushing out of the Angel's core. Its whip-like hands had withered away as Shinji's timer had clocked in to zero. The lights in Shinji's cockpit soon turned into a deep red. The people watching this fight with the Angel were just too shocked for words as to what had just transpired.   
  
Shigeru: Eva Unit-01 is inactive! There could be no life signs detected from the target either...!   
  
Misato: .....   
  
---   
  
Shinji was very exhausted. He held his head in his hands and breathed hard.   
  
Toji: Ikari...you okay, man?   
  
Kensuke: Ikari...   
  
Shinji: (panting) I...I'm fine. I'm fine...   
  
Toji Suzuhara wasn't sure what it was, but it suddenly dawned on him that this little idiot...this...person, before him right now...was deeper than what he had expected.   
  
Shinji Ikari just closed his eyes in deep thought.   
  
Why does he have to do all of this? And for whom?   
  
---   
  
The makeshift interrogation room at the Nerv Headquarters had a very stale atmosphere. Shinji just sat there in his chair while Misato was pelting him with a lot of angry questions like a parent would to his child.   
  
Misato: Who gives you the right to disobey my orders? All right, let's say it was right that you let those two kids into the entry plug, but what do you think would have happened if you hadn't fallen back AND hadn't defeated the Angel?   
  
Shinji: I'm sorry, Misato...   
  
Misato: "I'm sorry" isn't good enough, Shinji! I'm your operations supervisor and I'm the one responsible for every move you make when you're in battle! You are *obligated* to follow my orders! Do you understand?!   
  
Shinji: ...I know...I'm just a pilot--a subordinate. That's all I am to you, right?   
  
Misato: Wh--what are you saying--   
  
Shinji: I could guess you wanted us to live together just so you could observe me easier. It's okay, Misato...but then I really thought you cared about me...anyway, I don't really see what the fuss is about! I *won*, didn't I?!   
  
That earned the boy a sudden slap to the face.   
  
Misato: How DARE you! Just what do you think your duty is?! (sighs and turns away from him) ...that will be all. Just go home and rest, okay? I'll see you later...   
  
Shinji: (standing up and walking towards the mechanical door) Yes...*ma'am*.   
  
---   
  
Gendo: I see...so what you're saying is that the AEUG needs the help of Nerv and the Kalaba, am I correct?   
  
Brex Forra's image on the videophone was somewhat blurry, but Gendo Ikari could just sense the need for Nerv's help on the face of his former superior officer in the Federal Forces. He, too, saw a male blonde person dressed in a red vest-like suit and wearing sunglasses.   
  
Brex: /You don't need to be so blunt about it, sir. All we would want is that the Kalaba should join us in our resistance against the Titans and that Nerv might be of help when the situation calls for it./   
  
Gendo: The Titans are not my business to do away with, sir. Neither is Nerv's business yours. I am afraid I cannot accept your offer, sir. Do with the Kalaba as you would please, sir, but Nerv will not engage itself with the likes of such groups as the AEUG. Our cause is different from yours--   
  
Kaji: ...or maybe not, sir.   
  
The Nerv Supreme Commander just raised his head a little bit and had seen the tall Japanese man, still wearing his trademark light blue business suit and black tie and still donning his unshaven countenance and semi-long hair tied behind the back of his head. Kaji was toting a seemingly familiar-looking metal suitcase of sorts as he walked into the room.   
  
Fuyutsuki: Ryoji Kaji-dono, you're early for the appionted time of arrival! We weren't expecting you till a few weeks from now!   
  
Kaji: Hmm, better to be early than never, Fuyutsuki-dono.   
  
Gendo: What brings you here?   
  
Kaji: I heard your discussion with my old friend in the AEUG here... (looks at Brex in the video phone and grins slightly) ...and I was just so interested that I had decided to just butt in on the disussion and tell you what our position is on this whole deal with the Titans and all. Commander Brex, sir, could you excuse me and Ikari-dono here for a second? We'd just have..."something" to discuss.   
  
Brex: /Hmm...well, if it's okay with Ikari here, why not? I'll just call you again after ten minutes./ (beeping sound) What do you think, Lieutenant?   
  
Quattro: This would definitely be a cinch, so to speak, Sir, since Mr. Kaji says he knows Mr. Ikari very well. But still, Mr. Ikari didn't seem very keen on the idea of letting this...Nerv...thing be merged with us.   
  
Brex: Right. I haven't heard of Lieutenant Gendo Ikari for almost seven years now...you'd think he'd just disappeared and lived off his retirement pension, huh? Ikari's been like that ever since he was put under my division in the old days; quiet, secretive, always got something on his mind. Brilliant too...   
  
Quattro: ...so I've heard. I wonder what happened to our spy in Jabrow already...   
  
Brex: I'm beginning to worry for Reccoa too, Lieutenant. We will commence an assault for South America as soon as the papers have been approved of our alliance and merger with the Kalaba...and hopefully, Nerv as well. Let's just hope Reccoa's still alive.   
  
Quattro: Right.   
  
After a long pause, there was a sudden beep from Brex's video phone. The old AEUG commander picked up the receiver and the blurry image of Gendo Ikari soon popped up on screen.   
  
Gendo: /You are free to do anything with the Eva's as you please, sir, but let me remind you that if the need arises, we will want the Eva's to our own use as we have usually done. This, I inform you, is not a formal alliance between the AEUG and Nerv. It is more like we are merely lending you our services and technical support as I would expect you to do so likewise. This conversation is finished. Good day, Commander Brex Forra./ (beeping sound)   
  
Brex: (looking at Quattro) Well, how'd you like that? I didn't even get the chance to thank him!   
  
---   
  
Kaji: Wise decision you've made, sir. I assure you we can make some of the Agama's crew of use in defeating the Angels. What with the Red Comet by our side, I think it just would work if we will have Newtypes in our ranks.   
  
Gendo: Heh...so the great Char Aznable would be working with us...I couldn't say I don't believe in Newtypes myself, I've seen proof of that during that war of seven years ago. However...our overriding priority is the defeat of the Angels and not engaging in some paltry political dispute between the spacenoids and the Earthnoids. The Angels are far more dangerous than even the most powerful of Newtypes could ever imagine.   
  
Kaji: Heh heh, I know that, sir. I would even assume that you didn't care even if Amuro Ray was already amongst us, even though it's indirect, right?   
  
Fuyutsuki: The Committee will be furious, Ikari-dono. What if they will find out about this rash decision you've made?   
  
Gendo: They won't.   
  
Kaji: Seven years...it truly has been too short a period of time, and yet, THIS is still in its infancy stage. It's quite an amazing thing I'd have to carry around the colony system...   
  
Kaji laid down his metal suitcase upon the table and opened it up for Fuyutsuki and Gendo to see. There was some sort of a strange embryonic lifeform encased in a glass cover at the center of the suitcase.   
  
Gendo: Yes. It's frozen in suspended animation for now...but it's definitely alive.   
  
Fuyutsuki: We have in our hands the very first human...   
  
Kaji: And the key to the Human Instrumentality Project...Adam.   
  
---   
  
Ritsuko: What?! Shinji's been missing since yesterday?!   
  
Misato: (sighs) Yeah...I thought he was just feeling sick or something...damn, I'd never think he'd run away like that...   
  
Ritsuko: And you call yourself his caretaker? Jesus Christ, woman...   
  
Misato: Aww, don't talk like that.   
  
Ritsuko: In any case, we still have to report this to the Commander. (turns away from Misato to start typing at her laptop)   
  
Misato: Whoa, hold on! He still might--   
  
Ritsuko: It would be too late if something comes up again. Of course, if you'd like to *personally* conduct a search for him...?   
  
Misato: But how...? I'd have no idea where he'd go...   
  
---   
  
It was just a few minutes after the class had been dismissed and recess had started. Toji didn't really feel like going to the cafeteria today, so he just sat on one of his classroom's windowpane and looked beyond the horizon.   
  
Toji: (sighs) Whaddaya think he's doin' now...? Ikari, I mean. He ain't been to school since yesterday and all...   
  
Kensuke: What, are you worried about him, Toji?   
  
Toji: Who said I was worried about 'im?! I was just wonderin' where he is, dat's all!   
  
Kensuke: (sighs) For you, that's the same thing, isn't it? You're just not exactly being up front about this. Oh well, if it bothers you that much, why don't you ask Ayanami instead? (points behind him)   
  
Rei's bandages had lessened since the last day she was at school, but she still had a gauze patched to her right eye. At the mention of her name, the pale-skinned girl rolled her ruby-red eyes over from the book she was reading to the two boys' path of vision and just stared at them blankly as she would anyone.   
  
That simple gaze from the enigmatic Rei Ayanami definitely sent chills down their spines.   
  
Rei: .....   
  
Toji: .....   
  
Kensuke: .....   
  
Toji: YOU ask. (whispers) She makes me kinda nervous...   
  
Kensuke: N...no way, man. (whispers) Me too...   
  
---   
  
A confused and sad Misato closed the door behind her, hugging her pet penguin Penpen who was very happy to see her.   
  
Misato: I'm home, Penpen. (sighs)   
  
Penpen: squawk! squawk! gaaaack! gwaaaack!   
  
Misato: (looks at Shinji's room) Shinji...I wonder if he's not coming home again tonight...? (walks over to her room, opens her notebook, and sighs) I think I may have been too hard on him when I slapped him back there...   
  
Misato read her Third Child progress report silently. It was about the events of yesterday when Shinji had disappeared all of a sudden; up until now his whereabouts were unknown and that the probable reason might be about Shinji's disobedience of her orders. After that, she wondered what was really going on in her little roommate's mind...   
  
---   
  
Shinji was feeling very beat; he had been walking around for no particular direction for almost two days now. Walking through a certain meadow in the onset of a departing sun giving way to the night, he had thought that no matter where he went, he could be of no use to anyone because he'd just be too insecure to be of use anyway.   
  
On his uncharted way, he stumbled upon a tent in the middle of the meadow. He then wondered what in the world would a tent be doing here in the middle of nowhere. He smelled something; food was being cooked. Thank God! he thought. It's been a day since he's eaten anything...he could feel his stomach just grumbling...   
  
...and he could feel the back of his head just being poked with something. It was cold, almost like...steel!   
  
Voice: Hold it right there, partner!   
  
Shinji: Yaaaaaahhh...!!! (raises his hands and stutters) I-I-I-I didn't mean to steal your food, man! I was just--   
  
Voice: Who would dare and try to eat my dinner, eh?   
  
Shinji: I'm sorry--!! (turns around to see Kensuke wearing a standard black-and-red Titans uniform and toting an imitation M-16 rifle) I...It's you! Your name's...Aida, right?   
  
Kensuke: Hey there, Ikari! I *knew* it was you, heh heh!   
  
Shinji: W-well, okay...but what the heck are you doing in those clothes?   
  
Kensuke: (scratches his head) Ohh, I was just playing war, yeah, that's what I was doing.   
  
Shinji: And you're doing it alone?   
  
Kensuke: Yup! (grins)   
  
Shinji: (shakes his head and thinks) Geez...what a wingnut...   
  
Kensuke: But what are *you* doing out here, Ikari?   
  
As the suddenly silent Shinji was just about to look away, his stomach couldn't hold its silence and started to growl. Shinji's features almost flushed.   
  
Kensuke: Feeling hungry, huh? Be my guest, man--I'll share my din-din with you!   
  
The campfire light was so cozy that night. Shinji felt like he just wanted to snuggle up to something...or someone...right now, but dismissed the thought as images of Asuka wearing that dominatrix outfit started to come back at him.   
  
Kensuke: Here. Eat up! Heh heh! It's the best stuff in the house! (grins)   
  
Shinji: (takes the food container from Kensuke) Thanks...   
  
Kensuke: (starts to munch down on his own food) You know, Toji was really worried about you when you didn't come to school yesterday.   
  
Shinji: He was?   
  
Kensuke: Yeah, well you really did seem pretty bummed after that battle the day before yesterday. I'm glad you're doing better, man. You know, you might have it pretty rough, Ikari...but still, I really envy you!   
  
Shinji gasped. Someone actually envied him?   
  
Kensuke: (smiles at him) Whatever your problems are, you still get to pilot that way-too-cool M.S.! I wish *I* could take Unit-01 for a spin, just for once! I'd give ANYTHING just to get to pilot that thing, heh heh heh!   
  
Shinji just sighed and smirked a little.   
  
Shinji: You know, I do wish I could look at it that way...   
  
A few minutes later while the two boys were discussing some more things that boys their age would usually talk about, they could hear the sound of a helicopter hovering just a short distance away from them. Both turned around to see two or three grown men in black suits and black neckties.   
  
Kensuke: W...what...who the hell are you?!   
  
Man A: Are you Shinji Ikari?   
  
Man B: Nerv Public Security and Intelligence Bureau. In accordance with Clause 8 of the Public Security Act, we are to escort you back to Headquarters. Do you understand?   
  
Shinji: ...let's go, then.   
  
---   
  
The real interrogation room at the Nerv Headquarters had a very stale atmosphere; this scene was already all too familiar to him. Shinji just sat there in his chair wondering what Misato might do to him, since he thought he had angered her.   
  
Hearing the mechanical door open behind him, he turned around to see Misato standing there, but there was no sign of anger from her face. She entered the room with that same air of being Shinji's commanding officer and looked int the boy's eyes inquisitively.   
  
Misato: Welcome back, Shinji. So, how did it feel to run away? Feel better now that you've gone for two days?   
  
Shinji: ...I'm sorry, Misato...I was just...   
  
Misato: Shinji...do you really want to pilot the Eva or not?   
  
Shinji: ...it...it doesn't matter what I want, Misato. I told you before, I'm not piloting the damned thing because I want to. But then, even if I said I didn't want to, it wouldn't change anything. I know this, that I'm just the only alternative you have and if you lose me, you guys would be in trouble. If everyone tells me to do it, then I'll do it--   
  
Misato: I'm not asking what everyone wants you to do. I'm asking *you*, Shinji!   
  
The boy just looked up at his superior officer suddenly, feeling a bit surprised. Misato kept her stare as stern as possible.   
  
Misato: It's okay if you don't want to pilot it. If you want to, you could just go back to whatever sector of space within or without the Langrage Points you came from. I say it's for your own good, Shinji. At this rate, you'll just wind up dead. Besides, a pilot as insecure as you means nothing but trouble for us. (sighs) It hurts to lose a pilot, of course, but we'll just have to rewrite Unit-01's systems for Rei. Anyway, I've been informed that the AEUG and the Kalaba are here to help us...I just don't know if they'll help us in defeating the Angels or not, whatever your daddy might decide.   
  
And as Misato started to leave the room, Shinji just stood there paralyzed at her words. He couldn't do anything...he just couldn't.   
  
Misato: I'm sorry, Shinji. I guess we expected too much of you. Just forget about Eva...forget about us. Go back to your old life. Goodbye, Mr. Ikari...   
  
The mechanical door slid shut behind Misato Katsuragi, leaving Shinji Ikari by his lonesome again. Misato didn't know if this was the right decision to do or not, but it was the only option left she can do, even if it wasn't of her own will.   
  
---   
  
Three sets of feet could be heard walking down a certain corridor within Nerv Headquarters. Gendo Ikari and Ritsuko Akagi were discussing the current state of affairs of the "Third Child" Shinji Ikari while Rei Ayanami just tagged along, her bandages seemingly to have already been taken away.   
  
Ritsuko: Are you sure it's all right to just dismiss the Third Child just like that? But the Marduk Agency still hasn't found a Fourth Child yet...we don't exactly have a replacement for Unit-01's pilot...   
  
Gendo: This is one of the scenarios we predicted. It's simplicity itself to foresee what a person will do when they're cornered.   
  
Ritsuko: Well, if worse came to worse, we could opt for bringing him back here with force and brainwash him...but then I just don't really know how that will affect his synching with the Eva.   
  
Gendo: In that case...we'll rewrite Unit-01's system data for Rei.   
  
Ritsuko: Yes, sir.   
  
---   
  
The next day, at school...   
  
Toji: An' you let dem just take Ikari away? Geez, what kind of a--   
  
Kensuke: I didn't really have a choice there, idiot. I mean, what could I have done to stop them? This is Nerv Security and Intelligence we're talking about, man. These guys are pros. Got that?   
  
The brash young man just sat in his chair realizing that. He shook his head and turned to his partner, leering at him with a sour expression.   
  
Kensuke: Now what the hell are you looking at me like that for?   
  
Toji: Kensuke, I'm goin' out.   
  
Kensuke: Where the heck do you think you're going?   
  
---   
  
As he was being escorted down the halls of Nerv HQ by those very same men in black suits-and-ties, Ritsuko happened to meet Shinji on the way out and talked to him.   
  
Ritsuko: Your father appreciates your efforts on your behalf.   
  
Shinji: That's it?   
  
Ritsuko: Yes. Well, take care of yourself...   
  
Shinji: W...wait up! (tries to get to Ritsuko but is stopped by his escorts) I mean...where's Misato? She's not even going to say goodbye to me or anything?   
  
Ritsuko: (sighs) Now, Shinji...you're not a member of Nerv anymore. I can't tell you anything, no matter how inconsequential. I'm sorry, Shinji, those are the rules. (turns around) Goodbye.   
  
---   
  
Misato was feeling depressed at Shinji's absence. Penpen, however, didn't seem to mind at all while he was happily eating his breakfast of tuna fish. Well, Misato thought, I suppose this is the only way...   
  
Misato: Ooookey-doke, I guess I'm out of here. (carrying Penpen and hugging him) Bye, Penpen, I guess I'll see you later...I'm way too late already--   
  
Misato turned around at the sound of her doorbell ringing. Hmm, who could it be now? She opened the door and saw those two boys that Shinji had let into Eva Unit-01's entry plug and rescued the other day.   
  
Misato: Yes...? Oh, you're Shinji's classmates! I remember you two!   
  
The two boys' eyes widened at the magnificent beauty that just greeted them from behind the door to Shinji's apartment. Good Lord! They both thought, Ikari was living with this superior babe! They really wished somebody really hot like her could order them around...   
  
Toji: (blushing) Uhhh...   
  
Kensuke: (blushing) Ummm, we're Aida and Suzuhara, from Ikari's class, yeah that's it! Heh heh heh! Umm, we're really sorry for the other day for umm...   
  
Misato: Oh no, that's fine!   
  
Toji: Ummm, so...w-we just came by to see how Ikari's doin' and all...we were really gettin' concerned for the poor guy...   
  
Misato's pleasant expression changed and she told her what really happened. The two boys were just surprised at the mention of Shinji actually running away just like that.   
  
Misato: We haven't reported it to the school yet, but he should be getting on the train to the nearest town right now.   
  
Toji: Ain't this kinda abrupt, ma'am?! I mean, was he fired for disobeyin' orders or somethin' like that?   
  
Misato: (looking surprised) Oh, n...no, it's not like that...   
  
Toji: So...did he just got fed up wid' fightin'...?   
  
Kensuke: Ikari's...been acting weird lately...I mean, he was just okay yesterday, but he wasn't acting normal during that last battle.   
  
Toji and Misato: ...?   
  
Kensuke: At school, he acted like nothing got to him, not even while Toji here was on his case. But for him to show emotion like that...it's like he was deliberately disobeying you. (rubs his chin) I don't know how to put it...but he was kinda acting like a spoiled kid...   
  
Her eyebrows meeting as a result of realization, Misato looked at the floor feeling guilty and kept silent.   
  
Toji: Ha ha ha ha ha, aww c'mon, man! You mean he acts like a big shot, but he's a sucker fer babes after all! Geez, don't talk about 'im like dat...!   
  
[flashback]   
  
Shinji: ...I'm just a pilot--a subordinate. That's all I am to you, right?   
  
[end flashback]   
  
Misato: Oh, Shinji...   
  
Still clutching her pet penguin close to her, the 29-year-old Nerv tactician quickly made a run for her car. She might still just make it...   
  
Toji: M...Miss Katsuragi?! What's the matter?!   
  
Misato: You two just stay here! I'm gonna see him off and see if I can still make it to Shinji! Seeya!   
  
And as the blue Nissan Sentra drove off into the Nerv Headquarters, Toji and Kensuke just stood there like two dumb people watching Misato slip away from their hands, so to speak.   
  
Kensuke: What about us...?   
  
---   
  
Shinji just stood there in front of the entrance to the monorail. Well, this is it, he thought. But he was having mixed feelings on whether he should leave or not. True, he was just getting hurt not just physically, but emotionally as well, from piloting the Evangelion. But...if he really did run away...where else could he go? He had once promised Asuka he wouldn't run away and he'd be brave whatever it takes...heh, maybe promises really were made to be broken...   
  
Man A: What are you standing around there for? Get in the train!   
  
As one of Shinji's escorts was about to push him inside the train, a familiar woman's voice shouted out Shinji's name from behind them. Shinji was surprised as he turned around to see a huffing and puffing Misato. Their eyes meet for a fleeting moment and Misato walked towards him.   
  
Misato: (panting heavily) Okay...okay. All right guys, I can take it from here on. You can go now. (watches Shinji's two escorts go away then turns to Shinji) I forgot to tell you something. You see...   
  
Shinji almost dropped his luggage at the sight of Misato; even more so when he saw her bringing Penpen her pet penguin with her. He just stared at her as she continued her story.   
  
Misato: ...Penpen here...he was being used as an experiment where I used to work. They were through with him. I got him just as they were about to put him to sleep. Do you know why I took him in...such a greedy, useless bird?   
  
Shinji: .....   
  
Misato: I felt sorry for him. Well there was *that*, but...well, I...you know, Shinji, I've always lived alone. I thought it might be nice to have someone who'd be there, waiting for me when I come home late at night, tired from work...   
  
Shinji: ...!   
  
Misato: (smiles at him) I thought it might be nice to have a family, Shinji. I'm not the kind of person who's got it together enough to live just out of sympathy, or because it's my job. I didn't mean to...   
  
The words of the older woman were lost to the boy. He never noticed that he had already dropped his bags and just started to sob and finally break down crying. He wiped away his tears and faced his commanding officer, looking at her through teary eyes.   
  
Shinji: Misato...I...I don't want to go back to where I was before...   
  
Misato: Aww, Shinji...   
  
Toji and Kensuke came just in time...to see the train departing for the next town leave. They just stopped in their tracks as they had realized they were too late.   
  
Toji: Oh *no*....Ikari...   
  
Kensuke: Well I guess we were too late, huh?   
  
As the train slipped away from their view, they were just left stunned at the sight that they saw: Misato was hugging Shinji close to her. This...was very upsetting for the two boys.   
  
Toji: Geez! Don't dey got no shame...?!   
  
Kensuke: .....   
  
Misato released Shinji from her grasp and smirked. She looked at her now surrogate "younger brother" and looked into his eyes, smiling.   
  
Misato: Let's just go back to our home, okay?   
  
Shinji: (sobbing and smiling back) ...s-sure!   
  
---   
  
Episode 6, "Rei - I"   
-------------------   
  
Shinji and Misato met Toji and Kensuke as they were walking back to Misato's car. Toji "confronted" Shinji with letting the latter hit him back with a punch, since Shinji had saved his and Kensuke's lives and he didn't want to make a bad impression on anyone. Kensuke wondered why Toji wouldn't just say he's sorry, and with that, Shinji told Toji with a chuckle that "he'd rather owe him one". Toji then called Shinji a "rotten rat-bastard chicken shit", and Misato watched with a smile as the three newfound friends chased each other happily...and she smiled because it was the first time she'd ever seen her roommate laugh. She even teased Shinji with a nudge of the elbow on their way to the geofront that she thought he was cute when he smiled back there.   
  
Misato was just surprised at the sight of a very large battlecruiser--or three of them--"parked" in a large old sports stadium as she got off her car upon their arrival near Nerv Headquarters. She had never seen anything like that in her whole life and wondered if these ships are AEUG property.   
  
Shinji: You mean you don't know, Misato?   
  
Misato: How the heck am I supposed to know?! I haven't seen any ships like that ever since seven years ago or so!   
  
Shinji: (thinking) Geez, and I thought *I* was dumb...   
  
Shinji: Misato, these ships are *really* from the AEUG. I've even ridden in their flagship and it looks really good inside! I mean, they've got these state-of-the-art weaponry, they've got a very kind crew aboard...and what's more, their toilets are one-of-a-kind!   
  
Misato: (winces) Shinji, I'm NOT asking about the ship's damn toilets. Hmm, so they just came sooner than I had expected...why don't we go take a look?   
  
Shinji: Umm, Misato...I believe you told me earlier while we were on the way here we needed to get back to Headquarters...?   
  
Misato: (blinks) Oh, that's right! Heh heh heh, well, come on, don't just stand there...get in the car and let's go to HQ immediately, shall we?   
  
Shinji: (thinks) Ohhh no...there she goes again with her amazing naivete...now I'm really wondering why in the world I ever came back...   
  
The moment they had entered Nerv HQ, Misato and Shinji were seeing a lot of people unfamiliar to them; people who were wearing Federal Forces uniforms, people who wore uniforms that Misato had assumed and Shinji had definitely identified as AEUG uniforms, and along with them, the usual Nerv staff and crew. Misato found Ritsuko talking to a certain unfamiliar person and it looked like they were discussing something important, more like "that techie stuff again".   
  
Misato: Hey Ritsuko! (waves at her)   
  
Ritsuko: Oh, it's you, Captain Katsuragi. And...how nice of you to come back, Shinji. I knew you'd come back.   
  
Astonage: Hmm, you say he's "come back", Professor Akagi? Hello again, Shinji. It's been weeks, young chap, how have you been?   
  
Ritsuko: Yes, it's a long story, Medosso-san. Oh, this is Captain Misato Katsuragi, our chief sortie officer and tactical commander of operations for Nerv. Captain Katsuragi, this is Engineer Astonage Medosso, the chief engineer and mobile suit technician for the AEUG.   
  
Misato: (shakes Astonage's hand) How do you do, Medosso-san?   
  
Astonage: I'm fine, Captain Katsuragi. Well, I've heard you've been taking care of Shinji here?   
  
Shinji: Umm, yeah, she's been taking care of me, sir!   
  
Astonage: (pats his shoulder) Right. You know, you're real lucky to have a beautiful babysitter looking over you just like that. Just keep up the good work on your...Evangelion, was it? Yes, just keep up the good work. (grins)   
  
Misato: Awww, you shouldn't have! Tee-hee!   
  
Shinji: (face turning red) She is NOT my babysitter, Astonage...   
  
Astonage: Well, then. I believe Professor Akagi and I were discussing something about ummm...really high techie stuff so ummm...   
  
Ritsuko: It's all right, Medosso-san. We will continue our discussion later when it's convenient for the both of us. I believe you were busy doing something earlier with some of our technical staff, right?   
  
Astonage: Ah, yes. Well, I guess I'll see you then. (shakes Ritsuko's hand and waves at Shinji) Bye, Shinji...heh heh heh. Wait till your girlfriend sees this...   
  
Shinji: Grrr.   
  
Misato: What's wrong, Shinji? And what's he talking about a...girlfriend? Ooooooooh, Shinji's got a girlfriend! (nudges him with her elbow)   
  
Shinji: (angrily) He always makes fun of me when I was on the Agama! And he still does, just look at the way he--   
  
Ritsuko: (blinks) Shinji, I didn't know you had a girlfriend! Who's the lucky girl? Is she cute?   
  
Shinji: Rrrrgh, dammit! Asuka is NOT my girlfriend, OKAY?!   
  
Misato: Asuka? You mean *our* Asuka Langley Soryu? Gee whiz, this really *is* a small world! How'd you get to know Asuka? How long have you been...tee-hee...an item, hmmmmmmm? (grins)   
  
Ritsuko: (rubbing her chin) My goodness, I didn't know you were Asuka's type, Shinji...I've always thought she didn't like wimpy guys...   
  
Shinji: (face furiously red) COULD YOU TWO JUST STOP TEASING ME?!   
  
Misato: (shrugs) Well, if Asuka's not your girlfriend, why are you getting all so fussy about it? It's not as if you're actually going to--   
  
Ritsuko: AHEM! Anyway, I--no, make that *we*--have to get back to work. We still have to do some more research on that Angel that Shinji had just defeated, mostly just about those samples of the Angel's core that our people have retrieved. This way, please...   
  
The three of them walked past AEUG, Kalaba, and Nerv personnel alike and Ritsuko led them to a certain part of the huge pyramidal Nerv HQ where Nerv technicians were investigating certain remains of the Angel that Shinji had just defeated almost two days ago. Just before they entered the storage room-like facility, Shinji had met Rei just going out. Rei, who still wore her usual school uniform, didn't seem a bit surprised at the sight of Shinji's return and just regarded him the way she usually would to just about everybody: blankly and without any trace of emotion.   
  
Rei: Ikari...so you didn't quit at all.   
  
Shinji: Ayanami...y-y-yeah, I did come back...   
  
Rei: (passing them by) I could have piloted Unit-01 perfectly well myself.   
  
As the pale-skinned girl walked away from them, Shinji was just simply puzzled as his eyes just caught the sight of her leaving. He gulped his spit in a little bit and turned to Misato.   
  
Shinji: You think she's mad at me...?   
  
Misato: Naaah, she's like that with everyone. Now, on the other hand...nobody and I mean NOBODY has seen Rei smile at all. It almost makes me wonder why sometimes, but Rei *is* Rei after all...   
  
Ritsuko went back to her laptop computer as she started to continue her work as Misato slipped into something more comfortable than her usual sexy miniskirt-like and red jacket Nerv uniform like a casual T-shirt and some loose jeans. Shinji, though, was still in his school uniform but they both wore yellow construction helmets. Shinji was just outside the room Misato and Ritsuko were in, watching cranes and Nerv workers going to and fro transporting the Angel's remains.   
  
Shinji: (obviously in awe) So this is the Angel I defeated...   
  
Misato: Ritsuko, what did you mean what you said earlier that you "knew" Shinji was going to come back?   
  
Ritsuko: Well, to put it simply, most children would first rebel against their guardian. They just want to know if life's worth living if they do, and as well, it's a test of the guardian. So I'd say you just made it safely through the rite of passage.   
  
Misato: Tch! Well, you just know everything, do you? Are you just bitching me out, Ri-chan...?   
  
Ritsuko: Oh, I'm just speaking statistically, Misato-chan. Hmm, we've never called each other those names ever since we graduated from college...   
  
Misato: Yeah right, Ri-chan. And...*statistically* speaking, what data have you got so far from Mr. Enemy here?   
  
Ritsuko: See for yourself. (Misato leans down to see the monitor of Ritsuko's laptop and sees the number "601" amongst other data)   
  
Misato: What's that mean?   
  
Ritsuko: That's the code number for "insoluble".   
  
Misato: So that means, you haven't got a clue?   
  
Ritsuko: Yes. Except that the Angel's individual waveform pattern, despite the difference in its component material, resembles the human genome. The match is 99.89%.   
  
Misato: (gasps) 99.89 percent! But that's the same as the Eva's...!   
  
Shinji just curiously watched on as Nerv personnel were investigating and doing research on the Angel's remains until his dad, accompanied by Nerv's elderly second-in-command Fuyutsuki, and two other Nerv research technicians. He identified two other people who came with them as his old friends in the Agama, two of the AEUG's top brass, Supreme Commander Brex Forra and his top ace pilot, that mysterious man-in-red Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina. Shinji wondered if Quattro ever took off his ever present sunglasses at all, he hid from his father's sight.   
  
Technician A: Yes, sir, The degradation was so severe that it could hardly be called a perfect sample, but--   
  
Gendo: I see.   
  
Quattro: Quite a fascinating sight this is, Mr. Ikari. I'll assume this is one of those...Angels you were talking about?   
  
Fuyutsuki: Well, yes...at least that's what's left of it, gentlemen.   
  
Shinji was in deep thought once more as he looked on at his father having a conversation with the two AEUG leaders. He wondered why he would just sneak around and hide whenever his dad was around. He also felt that even though he did come back, it came to his dad like it was nothing.   
  
Quattro turned around a bit to see Shinji trying to hide himself in some scaffolding and excused himself from his Commander and Gendo. He walked over to Shinji who tried to hide himself more but obviously failed to do so.   
  
Quattro: Shinji...? Is that you?   
  
Shinji: Err...h...hi there, Quattro-san. What brings you here?   
  
Quattro: I think that should be my question. What brings *you* here, Shinji? Do you work with your father here?   
  
Shinji: (face turning bitter) ...y, yes, yes I do...   
  
Misato: Hey Shinji, who are you talking to--oh! Heh heh, hi there! (offers a handshake to Quattro) I don't believe we've met!   
  
Quattro: (shakes Misato's hand) Yes, indeed. I am Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina of the AEUG. And who might you be, my fair lady?   
  
Misato: Tee-hee, I'm Captain Misato Katsuragi of Nerv, I'm the tactical supervisor for anti-Angel sortie operations here! Heh heh heh heh! (thinks) Oooh, what a HUNK! And he called me a lady too, tee-hee! Not like some other people I know...   
  
Shinji: (leers at Misato) Misato, you're making yourself obvious...   
  
Ritsuko: (sounding bored) Do that stuff outside!   
  
Quattro: Ahem, yes...umm, I saw Shinji here and it looked like he was staring at his father like so. Shinji, why don't you just go over and talk to him like some children would usually do?   
  
Misato: Yeah...why the heck are you staring at your dad like that anyway, hmm? (raises an eyebrow)   
  
Shinji: No, no, it's not like that...I mean, see for yourself...   
  
Shinji pointed out to his father, who was still taking a close look at the Angel's circular "core" and who had apparently taken his white cotton gloves off. In all his stay at Nerv, Shinji had never seen his dad take his gloves off just like that. And what's more, it looked like the palms of Gendo's hands had burn scars like it was burned long ago.   
  
Shinji: See?   
  
Misato: Hmm...hey Ritsuko, do you know anything about the Commander's hands being burned?   
  
Ritsuko: It all happened before you two got here. Evangelion Unit-00 went berserk during an activation test...you've heard about that story, right, Shinji?   
  
Shinji: Yes...I think so... (thinks) That must be when Ayanami got hurt and she had all those bandages...   
  
[flashback]   
  
Breaking the restraints binding it, the orange Evangelion Unit-00 held its head like it was in pain. Sirens were going off inside the observation room just beside where Unit-00 was, with control room operator and Nerv Lieutenant junior grade Maya Ibuki shouting reports of Unit-00's status. Gendo Ikari ordered the test be aborted and the Eva's power be cut off, making it switch to less than one minute of back-up power.   
  
Maya had then successfully activated the Eva's auto-eject function for its entry plug and Gendo ran for it, desperate and worried about Rei's condition. Ritsuko ordered the Eva be engulfed in a special reddish quick-dry cement called "bakelite". As the entry plug finished flying all over the room ejecting the LCL that it contained, Gendo opened the entry plug's hatch, risking his hands getting burned in the process and had finally gotten to Rei, who had blood trickling down her head and looked as if she was critically injured.   
  
Gendo: (holding Rei's hand) Rei, are you all right?!   
  
Rei: (weakly) ...y...yes...sir...   
  
Gendo: (feels relieved and smiles at her) I see...that's good to hear.   
  
[end flashback]   
  
Ritsuko: The Commander saved Rei, taking the risk of burning his hands just to open that super-heated hatch with his bare hands. That's how he got those burns on his hands.   
  
Quattro and Misato: Interesting...   
  
Shinji: (thinking) Dad burned his hands to save Ayanami? What's Ayanami to him, anyway...?   
  
---   
  
The next day, it was almost high noon as Shinji's class was having PE lessons. It was the boys' turn to do track and field while the girls were doing swimming just above them (the girls' location was on an elevated hill-like place). Shinji just stared curiously at Rei who was wearing a standard-issue navy blue one-piece swimsuit like all of her other female classmates and every other high school girl in Japan wore. But unlike her classmates, Shinji noticed she wasn't joining in on the fun that all of the other girls were having.   
  
Rei Ayanami was a mystery to Shinji. Misato had once told her all of Rei's past records were supposedly deleted and that any information on her could probably be unclear. There was that, and the fact that Rei had sort of like an albino-like appearance, with her short, ice blue hair and deep crimson eyes, and topping it off, her unemotional attitude towards people, added more to Shinji's thinking. He dismissed the thought that she could be a robot or anything of the essence...   
  
Toji: Good Lord...I never thought the hero t' be da pervert! Who ya lookin' at, President Hikari...? Oh, I get it, Ayanami! Ya sure go for the sullen ones, don't ya?   
  
Kensuke: Goodness, man...and here I thought you didn't care about anything...so which part of Ayanami are you looking at, huh? Ayanami's breasts?   
  
Toji: Ayanami's hips? Oh, I know...!   
  
Toji and Kensuke: Ayanami's calves!   
  
Shinji put two of his fingers inside Toji's nose and went behind him, taking his hand and waving it around like some sort of a marionette or a puppet. Some of the girls noticed this and started to laugh furiously at what Shinji was doing to Toji.   
  
Female Classmate A: Muwahahahaha, hey girls, look at Suzuhara's face!   
  
Female Classmate B: Wha--oh! Heh heh heh, hey check out the monkey down there! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!   
  
Female Classmate C: Tee-hee, I didn't know Ikari had it in him! Ha ha ha ha ha!!   
  
Hikari: (angrily) Aaaargh, what the heck are you doing?! Toji, you moron!!   
  
Rei: ..... (turns away)   
  
As Shinji let go of Toji and the girls' laughs died down, he was just all the more puzzled. All the girls laughed at him and Toji's circus act earlier, but Rei just simply caught a glimpse then turned away. Surely NOBODY could be that unemotional...   
  
Toji: WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YER DOIN', IKARI?!   
  
Shinji: (thinks) Knew it. She didn't laugh...   
  
Toji: RRRRRGGGGHH!! LOOK AT ME, IKARI!!   
  
Shinji: (blinks and grins innocently) Wha--? Oh! Umm, let's say we're even now, Toji! Heh heh, sorry about that!   
  
Toji Suzuhara's jaw just dropped to the ground and frowned. He never thought Shinji would get back at him for punching him days ago like that...   
  
Kensuke: (pats Toji's back and tries to hide his grin) Tough luck, eh Toji? Oh, yeah--yo, Ikari, I heard you guys had new allies in the AEUG, is that true?   
  
Shinji: Umm, that's what I heard. Why did you ask anyway?   
  
Toji: Well, duh! We jus' had our share of panickin' what wid' dose Angels comin' here an' all, if dose stinkin' Titans do come here I dunno what da hell kinda war will break out...   
  
Kensuke: Come to think of it, yeah...I'm also pretty sure war *would* break out if ever the Titans get any knowledge of the AEUG being here. Toji's right, it's not so much that the Angels are starting to come here at an inappropriate time, much more if the Titans would start coming here...   
  
Shinji: Guys, you know...I dunno if ever I get called to fight against the Titans along with my duty to fight against the Angels...I mean, there are real people piloting those mobile suits, you can't forget that, I just can't bring myself to...   
  
Kensuke: ...to kill those people in mobile suits? Hmm, I guess you're right, it's sort of a hard thing to do, but you still have to do it, you know. But still, you get to see all those cool new AEUG mobile suit models! I really envy you, Ikari!   
  
Shinji: Heh...I guess so...   
  
---   
  
Bright: I see. So if we can't really use your "Evangelions" except on special missions then I guess nothing would really change now, huh?   
  
Misato: Yeah, exactly our Commander's point...besides, our pilots haven't even gotten trained for battle against mobile suits yet. I mean, it's not like they're gonna be trained for such battles or anything of the sort, it's just we've never thought the AEUG would need any support coming from *us*.   
  
Brex: It's all right, young lady. At least I'm appreciative and very grateful of your Commander's discretion towards our plea of support of our struggle against the Titans. But still it would be better if you'd come along with us to our next mission to Jabrow...   
  
Misato: Jabrow? You mean Jabrow, South America? Wow, well I guess it'd really be cool if at least either one of us would come along, I've always wanted to see the Amazon River! Unfortunately, though, one of our pilots would still have to undergo one of our synchronization tests, so we'll have to stay here in Japan for the time being...and one more thing, we'll never know when another Angel would come...   
  
Brex: (chuckles) Like I said, Captain Katsuragi, it's all going to be fine. Well, Captain Bright...I've never really believed in space aliens before but right now I'd beg to disagree with my own views! God, there really *is* life outside our colony system...   
  
Bright: Indeed, sir. From Captain Katsuragi's description of these "Angels" they've proven themselves to be quite the demons that they are instead of their names, being called "Angels". I wonder what their purpose in invading only Japan is and why these Angels haven't even thought of invading other nations' cities.   
  
Astonage: I would also add that the Evangelions have such a unique structure and composition that would be far different from any mobile suit ever made. From Professor Ritsuko Akagi's rundown of the Eva's mechanics to me earlier, it features direct pilot's interface with the robot through the yellow liquid "LCL" and two thought probes worn on the pilot's head, making all of the Eva's motor impulses to be dependent upon the pilot's simple thoughts such as the concept of walking. This LCL is also a "breathable" liquid for which I've only heard about now, it's sort of a breakthrough indeed for Nerv to develop LCL, isn't it, Professor Akagi?   
  
Ritsuko: (nods) Yes, indeed. The only disadvantages are that the Eva's have no capability for flight like a few mobile suits have and that they're just not designed for space flight. I'm assuming that since Nerv and the AEUG are allied now, there would be times that you will need the help of our Eva's and that would include operations conducted in space...   
  
Astonage: No need to worry, Professor. Umm, some of our technicians and engineers back in the Agama, especially myself, will be taking the liberty of installing Minovsky crafts in your Eva's so they would be capable for any of our space operations in the future. Would you also like some help on installing internal power supplies for the Eva's as well? Personally I think the idea of the Eva's being connected with an umbilical cable into an external power source is kind of bulky...well, if your Commander wouldn't mind, that is.   
  
Ritsuko: Well, thank you very much on your offer on the Minovsky craft installation, but about your offer of internal power supplies for the Eva's instead of our standard umbilical power cable, I wouldn't think so. (shakes her head) There's exclusive machinery for installing internal power supplies for the Eva's and that is one of Nerv's current projects, the "S2 Engine". Unfortunately the S2 Engine is still being developed in our research labs in Germany, so we'll still have to depend on plugging the Eva's into a wall socket, so to speak.   
  
All the people in the Nerv briefing room chuckled and Brex stood up to shake Misato's hand. All of the AEUG staff did so likewise with Ritsuko and Misato, spouting thanks for being so receptive of the AEUG.   
  
Misato: Ohh, it's nothing, really! Hee hee, you're our guests anytime here at Nerv, Captain Bright and Commander Brex. It's an honor to have met you, by the way, Captain Bright Noah. I've heard so much about you on the war of seven years ago.   
  
Bright: Thank you, Captain Katsuragi.   
  
Quattro: It's also an honor to have met the both of you as well. Until then, we will be off to our destination in Jabrow. We have some...friends to pick up there.   
  
Hayato: Right. We, the Kalaba, on the other hand, will choose to stay here for the moment in aiding Nerv in its anti-Angel operations as we have done the moment we have chosen to declare ourselves a renegade group of the Federal Forces. Captain Katsuragi, we will assure you of our utmost service to your cause.   
  
Misato: Why, you're welcome, Lieutenant Kobayashi!   
  
The moment that the last of the AEUG officers and Hayato Kobayashi had left the room, Misato held Ritsuko's hand with a giggle and a grin.   
  
Ritsuko: Now what the heck is up with you now, Mi-chan?   
  
Misato: Tee-hee, oh nothing! That Lieutenant Quattro sure looked like a cutie, didn't he?   
  
Ritsuko: Ohh, so that's it. You're up with that "cute guy" chasing routine of yours again, huh? Well, good luck with you.   
  
Misato: How come *you're* so frigid? I thought you liked cute guys too!   
  
Ritsuko: Well, Misato, one thing I'll tell you...I like older guys than those AEUG people earlier. And I didn't mean their leader Commander Brex Forra, he's way too old for me. Hmm...Bright Noah sure looks cute in person now, doesn't he?   
  
Misato: Yeah, right...hey, I think I'll be on my way home now as well. You did tell me to let Shinji give Rei her new Nerv ID card, right?   
  
Ritsuko: Yeah...and you did tell me you were gonna watch some of those Sailor Moon marathons on cable this midnight, right? Jesus Christ, woman, I can't believe you till watch all of this girlie stuff like Sailor Moon!   
  
Misato: (puts her hands on her hips) Now what the heck is wrong with watching Sailor Moon at my age?! Personally I think it's pretty cool, Ri-chan! Man, I wish I had a wand like Sailor Moon has... (does an impression and pretends to hold something in her hand) "Moon Prism Power Make-Up!" Ha ha ha ha, that just kills me everytime I do that!   
  
Ritsuko: (shakes her head and looks at Misato weirdly) .....   
  
Misato: What the heck are you looking at me like that for?   
  
Ritsuko: (half-jokingly) Misato...if you do that again, I'll turn *you* into LCL.   
---   
  
The next day, Shinji just cursed his luck as he was walking through some backwoods road somewhere in Tokyo. He had just been ordered by Misato to get Rei's new ID card to her and was even teased by Misato as Shinji just flushed at the mention of him actually taking a visit to Rei's home. She even "threatened" to tell his "girlfriend" Asuka about Shinji having the hots for Rei and was just very amused as she teased Shinji some more.   
  
Shinji finally came to a stop as he looked up a very large six-story apartment building beside a certain construction site. The place looked like one of those "'hoods" in New York that Shinji had been hearing about on TV; everything was just so unsightly. Shinji sighed as he went inside the apartment building; he thought, this must really be the place.   
  
As he went up the stairs up till the fourth floor, he thought about that little incident yesterday after he and Rei had finished their basic synchro tests. As he saw Rei step down on a raised platform beside her Eva Unit-00, he could plainly view her talking to his father from the viewpoint of his cockpit in his own Eva Unit-01. He could have sworn she was talking so lively to his dad. He had never seen her like this with other people; usually her social attitude would be frigid as a stone, but this?   
  
Shinji pressed on Room 401's doorbell but found out that it was broken. He called for her surname as he opened the door and entered Rei's room. He was just so disarmed at the sight that greeted him as he entered Rei's room: it wasn't a very attractive room at the least. Shinji thought it couldn't even be called a room at all; the floor was a bit dusty, the air-conditioning looked like it was broken for a long time, there were bandages smeared with dried blood in a box somewhere in the room, and her bed was a mere old hospital bed. The lighting was no better than the appearance of the room itself; it was just so dim, desolate, and outright lonely and depressing.   
  
He caught sight of a pair of eyeglasses upon a drawer and he thought upon himself to go take a look at it. He took a close look at the pair of eyeglasses and read his father's name engraved upon it. Why, he asked himself, would Ayanami have his father's eyeglasses?   
  
Faint footsteps had interrupted his train of thought and had caused him to turn around slowly just to see a stark naked Rei who looked like she had just taken a bath as his nostrils had caught the faint smell of soap and his eyes caught the sight of Rei drying her hair with a towel.   
  
The boy was just too shocked to see a person of the opposite sex, and she was buck-naked at that. Not knowing what to do next, Shinji just yelled and had accidentally dropped his father's eyeglasses, leaving a little crack on one of its spectacles. Nervously spouting apologies, Shinji covered his eyes as Rei tried to pick up Gendo's old eyeglasses, but unfortunately for Shinji, he tripped on one of Rei's legs and they both fell.   
  
On all fours, Shinji suddenly found himself straddling on top of Rei. Beads of sweat started to form and boyish nervousness as he stared at the fragile, vulnerable, naked girl with short, ice blue hair below him. After a short while of realizing he was also involuntarily groping one of Rei's breasts, he got off of her after being told a faint, "Would you please get off?" Her tone of voice definitely didn't sound like she'd seen a deranged pervert invading her privacy...strangely enough, it sounded like Rei's usual unemotional and frigid manner.   
  
Turning away from her, Shinji desperately tried to search for word of explanation on why he was inside Rei's apartment in the first place while Rei, who was still in fact naked, on the other hand, placed Gendo's eyeglasses back in a hard case. Seemingly oblivious to Shinji's presence, Rei dressed herself up slowly, first in her underwear, then in her school uniform as Shinji was cringing in terror.   
  
Shinji: (gulps) ...umm...ahh...y-y-y-your card...i-it's been renewed, so Misato...she asked me to drop it off...I...I rang the doorbell, but it looks like it was broken...y-y-your door was unlo--   
  
Rei: Leave the card over there, then.   
  
With much fear, Shinji left the card on the drawer and ran for it, slamming the door behind him as Rei went on dressing herself up. Breathing hard and deep as he leaned on the door to Rei's apartment, he just could not believe what had happened to him that fateful morning...   
  
---   
  
Shinji threw his emptied can of Mr. Pibb that he had just crushed into the trash. He was thinking too much on that incident with Rei earlier, how he may have invaded on her privacy and all.   
  
Shinji: Shit...Ayanami must be mad at me now...   
  
As if by cue, the girl in question appeared in front of him, walking towards a certain direction. She looked at him for a second or two, then walked away. He chased up after her and left the bench located just a distance away from Rei's apartment building.   
  
Shinji: Hey, wait up, Ayanami! Are you going to Nerv HQ?   
  
Rei: .....   
  
---   
  
Shinji didn't even notice the Agama, the Radish, and the Mont Blanc parked just a little distance from them as he caught his pace up behind Rei in the geofront's easiest way to Nerv HQ, desperate to strike up even the most simplest of conversations to the quiet girl. They were just outside Nerv HQ, walking towards it.   
  
Shinji: Ayanami...s-s-so...your reactivation test with Unit-00 is today, isn't it? Aren't you the least bit scared, Ayanami...?   
  
Rei: ...of what?   
  
Shinji: About...you know, getting back into your Eva...   
  
Rei: Are you scared of yours?   
  
Shinji: ...yes. But then, I think it's stranger not to be scared.   
  
Rei: Can't you have faith in your father's work?   
  
That question got Shinji by the tongue. He was silent for about half a minute, thinking about what Rei had just asked him.   
  
Shinji: No. There's no way I can...not in a father like him.   
  
The albino girl stopped walking and turned around to look at Shinji. For a moment, Shinji thought Rei was smirking at him.   
  
Rei: I do. I have faith in him.   
  
Shinji: .....   
  
Rei: The only thing in this world I have faith in is the Commander.   
  
And as he saw Rei walk away from him, he thought deeply about those words coming out of his fellow Eva pilot. The only thing she has faith in is his father, whom he has hated? It puzzled him to no end as he followed suit and went towards Nerv HQ.   
  
He looked behind him to see the three large AEUG battlecruisers parked inside the geofront and almost gagged; he wondered how in the world those three ships had fit into the geofront's entrance. He then shook his head and went on going inside Nerv HQ.   
  
---   
  
The blue-colored Evangelion Unit-00 and its pilot were ready for the scheduled reactivation test. Almost all of the Nerv technical staff including Shinji, Misato, Fuyutsuki, and Gendo were standing by behind glass windows and observing how Rei would do this time. Everyone hoped nothing would go wrong this time as it had months ago before Shinji came to Earth.   
  
Also watching Rei's reactivation test in her Eva-00 were Camille, Astonage, and Amuro. As Camille and Astonage were interested to know what went on with a typical Evangelion test run, Amuro went with them as well to finally meet with his AEUG and Nerv comrades. If the Kalaba were to work with them, at least he could just see his allies' faces.   
  
Camille: What do you suppose they're doing?   
  
Astonage: I hear it's some kind of a reactivation test for one of their Evangelions. Professor Akagi told me this Eva Unit-00 has been repaired after something went wrong with its last test. I'm not sure what she meant by that it was a result of the pilot's drastic change in emotions, but it could be linked to the Eva's interface being that the pilot's thoughts directly controlling the Eva's basic motor functions.   
  
Ritsuko: Indeed, Medosso-san. It really was something involving a change in the pilot's emotions that made Unit-00 go berserk like that, but then it's still just a theory.   
  
Amuro: Anyways, ma'am, it's very good to see such an interesting new kind of mechanical masterpiece such as the Evangelion. I've never seen such things ever since the development of my father's invention, the Gundam. It would be quite strange, though, that these Eva's would look too much like human beings, if not resemble them...   
  
Ritsuko: That isn't to say, however, that the "late" RX-78-2 Gundam doesn't have its advantages over the Eva. One thing, for instance, I've heard from some sources that it's spawned a lot of mobile suit variations, like the Gundam Unit-01, "Zephyranthes" and the Gundam Unit-02, "Physalis". Speed and mobility are also the standard mobile suit's advantage over the Eva...Lieutenant Ibuki, is everything ready?   
  
Maya: Yes, ma'am. Unit-00 is now on standby.   
  
Gendo: We shall now commence. /Rei, are you ready?/   
  
Rei: /Yes, sir./   
  
Gendo: Initiate primary contact.   
  
Ritsuko: Main power, contact. Operational voltage critical point, confirmed!   
  
Maya: Roger!   
  
Ritsuko: Shift format to phase two!   
  
Camille: Well, it seems that everything's going okay so far, eh Shinji-kun?   
  
Shinji: .....   
  
Camille: What's wrong, man? Something wrong?   
  
Shinji: I...it's nothing, Camille. I was just...I was just thinking about if this...war you're fighting would elevate itself into new heights and all...I mean, I'd be involved too, wouldn't I?   
  
Amuro: Yes, Shinji, you'd definitely be involved too. Although this work you've got in defeating these "Angels" has seemingly gotten your hands full, this still isn't the, let's say, the best part of the job.   
  
Shinji: "The best part of the job", huh. Heh...   
  
Amuro eyed this boy carefully. Shinji definitely reminded him of the way he used to be when he was first enlisted as a part of the Federal Forces; stubborn, weak, and wimpy. Even now that Amuro was older and seemed more mature than before, his personality back then when he was still a 15-year-old kid never really faded away. He almost never had gotten enlisted in the Kalaba had it not been for that "rescue operation" for him days ago in Cheyenne, Wyoming and his pacifist attitude that had developed from seven years of not fighting alongside the Federal Forces.   
  
Amuro: (sighs and pats Shinji's shoulder) Shinji...I'd like to have a man-to-man talk with you someday, if it's okay with you.   
  
Maya: List items 1 through 2590 have been cleared. 2.5 until absolute borderline. 1.7, 1.2, 1.0, 0.8...   
  
Shinji: If you say so, Amuro-san...   
  
Just that moment, Rei's words from earlier started to come back at him, and that got him to think about what Rei really is to his father. "The only thing left in this world I have faith in is the Commander." Shinji wondered why this sullen girl...Ayanami...would think so much of his dad...his dad who left him in space, neglected him, forgot about him...and now needs him to pilot his robot.   
  
Shinji: (thinks) It's weird. Why am I so concerned about someone else?   
  
Lieutenant Ibuki's countdown to the borderline stage of Unit-00's reactivation test had finally ended and confirmation of Eva Unit-00's activation. A sigh of relief came out from the people concerned and soon enough, Maya announced a "linkage test" to be commenced in a short while.   
  
Fuyutsuki put down the phone receiver and turned towards Gendo.   
  
Fuyutsuki: Ikari-kun, an unidentified flying object is heading this way. It's probably the fifth Angel. Our sources also picked up a single Alexandria-class battlecruiser heading towards Tokyo. I just knew that the Titans would spot the AEUG here soon enough. What do we do now, Ikari-kun?   
  
As if by instinct, Camille, Astonage, and Amuro rushed out of the room to their respective battle stations in the Agama and the Kalaba's point of vantage, respectively.   
  
Amuro: I'll see you later, Shinji!   
  
Camille: Catch you later too, Shinji-kun! Gee whiz, the Titans *had* to come at a bad time, don't they, Amuro-sempai...   
  
Amuro: Like they would come at a good time, Camille. Let's go.   
  
Gendo: Abort the test! All personnel, go to Level One alert!   
  
Fuyutsuki: Can we use Unit-00?   
  
Gendo: It's not battle-ready yet. What about Unit-01?   
  
Ritsuko: We can have it up in 380 seconds.   
  
Gendo: Good. Scramble it. (looks over coldly at Shinji) What's the matter? Get going!   
  
Shinji: Yes...*sir*. (thinks) He won't even wish me good luck...but even if I can't believe in my father...all I can do right now is get into my Eva and fight.   
  
---   
  
And so, with a heavy heart, Shinji once again boards Evangelion Unit-01. He gulped as Misato ordered the Eva Unit-01 to be launched from its cage in Nerv's underground geofront home base and readied himself to battle against his third Angel, or otherwise known among Nerv (or at least between Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and a certain secret Committee as the fifth Angel).   
  
Camille and Astonage split their way from Amuro as they all were also on their way to launch in their own respective mobile suits to hope to give support to Shinji and, if ever it were true that the Titans were on their way to Japan, to defend Nerv HQ, more specifically, the three AEUG ships from them. Too bad, though, Camille thought, Lieutenant Commander Quattro and Emma and even Commander Brex were out to meet with some other AEUG supporters somewhere near Tokyo. At least that's what they told him...   
  
Camille: Amuro-sempai...you know, Mr. Kobayashi told me a while ago that the Kalaba, especially Mr. Kobayashi himself, had a hard time convincing you at first to join them. I'm glad and very honored that you would join the AEUG in its cause...I've heard so much about you and what you did seven years ago in the Federal Forces...   
  
Amuro: Hm? Oh, so Hayato told you, eh? Well, it's not like my putting under house arrest back in Wyoming was a bad thing after all...I had free board and lodging and free food too, you know. Heh heh, but kidding aside, I've also seen my faults, not being so thoughtful of the world around me which is now once again destroying itself. What with these Titans roaming around rearing their ugly heads, who knows who the bad guys are anymore, am I right?   
  
Camille: Guess so...   
  
Amuro: Well anyway, it's just...strange that you guys would come out like this at a more appropriate time. I mean...I just couldn't put it into words, but the AEUG reminds me of what I had experienced seven years ago in the 13th Autonomous Corps...and one of your leaders...his name was Quattro Bajina, right? He reminds me of someone I've known quite well in my old days as a 15-year-old in the army...well, we're here. Let's just get into our respective battle stations and get ready for launch.   
  
One way or another, Camille couldn't believe his luck. He would be fighting side by side with a now-older Amuro Ray, one of the significant heroes of the One-Year War, now with him being indirectly linked to the AEUG thanks to the Kalaba, an offshoot military organization that separated itself from the Federal Forces, Camille sort of felt like he was invincible, if only for the moment.   
  
But then, he thought, this was no time to be star-struck. There was another one of those "Angels" coming their way, and much more, a new wave of a Titans assault also coming their way. He didn't know it, but like Shinji, all he can do now is fight.   
  
---   
  
The fifth Angel looked like two crystalline blue-colored Egyptian pyramids with their bases placed on top of each other, giving it a weird but eerie appearance. (Author: A much simpler description of the fifth Angel would be like what role-playing gamers call an eight-sided die, except that this particular die was blue and transparent, having no dots or numbers on it whatsoever.) It floated slowly above the hills just over Tokyo and it looked like it was headed for a certain direction--Nerv HQ.   
  
And once again, Eva Unit-01 was brought to normal ground level as Tokyo's skyscrapers retracted themselves automatically underground as part of its anti-Angel defense barrier. All was set for battle, except that Eva-01 still had to be released from its final safety locks binding it to the elevator-like transport mechanism that brought it from underground.   
  
But something didn't really seem right, at least in the point of view of Nerv control room operator Lieutenant junior grade Shigeru Aoba.   
  
Shigeru: We're reading a high-energy concentration from *within* the target!   
  
Misato: What?!   
  
Shigeru: It's accelerating on its periphery! Starting to converge!   
  
Misato: I--It can't be...a particle beam?! /Shinji, GET OUT OF THE WAY!!/   
  
Shinji never knew what would hit him next. It all happened in mere seconds when Shinji saw a bluish beam of light coming from the Angel which was kilometers away from him. Destroying dummy buildings in its path, the beam went straight for Eva Unit-01's chest, burning and melting it slowly until it would burn and melt no more. One who was an Eva pilot could imagine how much pain that felt.   
  
As Shinji's comrades, the few but proud AEUG and Kalaba mobile suits, were coming out of their own exit points from the Nerv geofront, they ducked for cover and witnessed the Angel just trying to penetrate through Eva Unit-01 with a type of beam attack that only either Federation or Zeon battleships could perform. Camille might have sensed the attack coming if he were the Angel's target, but even if he weren't right now, his Newtype senses foresaw the attack, and he even ducked a little inside the cockpit of his Gundam Mk-II. Amuro might have sensed it too, but his sensitivity as a Newtype was just a notch lower than Camille's, technically speaking.   
  
Camille: /WHOA!! W-w-what the hell was THAT?!/   
  
Amuro: /A particle beam...impossible, there isn't any concentration of Minovsky particles that would count as being a battlecruiser anywhere near Tokyo! Well, at least that's what my radar tells me.../   
  
Chris: /No shit, sempai! There ain't nothing in mine too!/   
  
Apolli: /Lieutenant Amuro, do you think the Titans have developed any long-range mega beam cannons for their battlecruisers by now?/   
  
Amuro: /I don't think so, Apolli. At least if Anaheim is helping them too, which I definitely think so, I think they would. That beam attack came from that blue crystalline thing over there, and I don't think the Titans *or* Anaheim would have ever developed something like that yet./   
  
Roberto: /Maybe this is one of those "Angels" that Nerv was talking about...that thing sure got Shinji where it wanted it, huh?/   
  
Camille: /It sure did...I'm sure Shinji's not feeling VERY good right now.../   
  
If Misato were right in front of Camille right now, she would have shouted to his face, "'Not feeling very good' would be quite an understatement." Feeling very worried about Shinji's condition, Misato orders any and every available personnel to retrieve Shinji back to Nerv HQ, which they did almost instinctively. Shinji fainted inside his cockpit as it was being withdrawn from ground level, and soon enough, the Angel stopped firing the bluish particle beam.   
  
Shigeru: Target has gone inactive!   
  
Misato: How's Shinji?!   
  
Makoto: EEG abnormal! Pulse faint!   
  
Maya: Unit-01 to Cage #7 for retrieval!   
  
Misato: (running off to a certain direction) I'm going to the cage! Ritsuko, get the medic team ready, stat!   
  
Ritsuko: Got it.   
  
While everyone was suddenly busy as bees as a result of Eva Unit-01 being critically hit by the Angel, Rei just stared at the monitor with her usual cold, unemotional manner. No one knows what thoughts those deep crimson eyes hide...   
  
Makoto: ...correction, pulse has stopped!   
  
Ritsuko: Set life support system to maximum! Commence CPR--   
  
Rei: .....   
  
  
To be continued   
---   
  
Not much to say here, at the moment. I feel a little grouchy so I wouldn't really bother to say anything excess here. Again, I'd like to thank the people concerned in making this fic as it is. Look up your names in the previous Act just to be sure if yours is there or not.   
  
Act 4 coming soon. Again, C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE. Till then, "Believe in the sign of ZETA...beyond the hard times from now." 


	4. Amuro, Again The Winds of Jabrow Jaburo...

As soon as an unconscious Shinji was brought to one of Nerv's emergency rooms, the Angel continued on its slow course until it stopped somewhere in the middle of Tokyo. The Angel soon grew a narrow, drill-like mechanism from under it and started to drill away at the city's cement under it.   
  
Ritsuko: What's the enemy started doing?   
  
Makoto: It's drilling towards the geofront--towards Nerv HQ!   
  
Ritsuko: Damn, it's trying a direct attack against us!   
  
  
********************   
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover   
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)   
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.   
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.   
All rights reserved.   
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments. I'm serious, folks.   
********************   
  
[Act 4]   
  
Episode 7, "Amuro, Again"   
-------------------   
  
The Alexandria wasn't doing very good either; Titans Sergeant Jamaican Danningan had apparently sent some forward troops in the form of one Irish-class support cruiser containing a number of GM mobile suits and a few RMS-108 Marasai's. The ship had been reported to Jamaican to be vaporized upon nearing the coast of Tokyo by something that appeared to be a blue transparent thing that looked like an 8-sided die. In his career in the Federal Forces, and now with the Titans, he had never heard of such a weapon ever being developed by either them or the AEUG. He realized he was, in a way, pinned to a corner and thought carefully what he should do next.   
  
Jerid: So what do you think we should do, eh Sarge?   
  
Jamaican: We wait, Jerid. I'll have you know that some of our informers also told us that blue thing out there was also giving the AEUG's new weird-looking purple mobile suit a hard time with some kind of a particle beam attack.   
  
Kirkricon: So you think we should let the AEUG do that blue thing in while we wait then we strike after they beat it?   
  
Jamaican: Yes, that's what I'm saying. We couldn't risk any more ships or mobile suits to this new kind of enemy we have here.   
  
Jerid: Tch...and I was really waiting to kick AEUG butt real bad right now...especially one of their biggest assholes Camille Vidan. I'll see to it that *I'll* be the one to kill him, Sergeant.   
  
Jamaican: Patience, man. We still have to retrieve those stolen Gundam Mk-II's and we can't really afford them to be destroyed by your arrogance and impatience, Lieutenant. The last thing I want to have is to have my ass fried by Colonel Bosque because one of *my* men failed to obey my orders. Do you understand, officer?   
  
Jerid: Yeah, whatever...   
  
Jamaican: Anyway, you people will still have to stand by for further instructions or until at least that blue thing over there's done with, all right? This little backwoods Japanese fishing port that the Alexandria's in right now may not be the most pleasant of places but I'm sure no one would ever see us here.   
  
Jerid: Well, if all we're gonna do here is wait, then I'm off. I ain't gonna stay here and watch those AEUG punks do some little freak show here in Japan. I'm going back to Jabrow, Sarge...there may be some more excitement there than here, if you know what I mean. And besides...that new purple-haired chick might just do the job for me. She's one of our new recruits, right Sarge?   
  
Jamaican: You mean Rosamia? Jerid, she's not a "new recruit" per se, these people from upstairs sent her to us just yesterday and I'm assuming she might be on the service for quite some time now. You're right on that note that she might be a good pilot to add to our ranks, but I don't really trust anyone who's been sent to us from Augusta Laboratories...   
  
Kirkricon: And here I thought you wanted to kick that boy's arse so badly, Jerid. Man, what's gotten into you suddenly? You did tell me once when we were on our way back here to Earth you wanted to "avenge Lyla's death" or something like that...right?   
  
Jerid: ...never mind. The people upstairs want me in Jabrow anyway...well, I guess I'll see you then.   
  
Kirkricon: Yeah, and bring me home some hot Latin chicks while you're at it, eh?   
  
---   
  
And as Jerid's mini-dropship launched off from Japan into the former Federation base in Jabrow, South America, the Alexandria and its crew sat patiently waiting off-shore for the AEUG's next move...or at least until the Angel went away.   
  
Afternoon soon dwindles into twilight. In Nerv HQ, Captain Misato Katsuragi was discussing strategy with some of the Nerv technical staff about the Angel's status. She had just found out that while the Angel automatically attacks anything hostile to it within a certain radius, its particle cannon destroys it with 100% accuracy.   
  
Nerv crew A: We've confirmed this on the basis of a report to us this afternoon that one of the Titans' support battlecruisers had apparently been destroyed by the Angel. It was reported to have been an Irish-class, much similar to the AEUG's Mont Blanc and the Radish.   
  
Misato: So that means we can't get the Eva close enough to neutralize its A.T. field for melee combat. We will just have to worry about the Titans later, for all I know they might just be waiting for the AEUG to come out of our "rats' hole", if you will. What about the enemy's A.T. field?   
  
Nerv crew A: It's still active. It's so powerful that you can actually see the phase-shift space with the naked eye.   
  
Misato: It's practically perfect in both attack AND defense. This thing's an impregnable flying fortress. Now, what's the situation on its drill?   
  
Makoto: Ma'am, it appears to be a drill bit with a diameter of 17.5 meters, currently drilling towards Nerv HQ. It's reached the #2 armored plate separating us here underground in the geofront from Tokyo.   
  
Misato: What's its estimated time of arrival to reach HQ?   
  
Makoto: Tomorrow morning at 0006 hours. By that time, we believe it will have cut through all 22 layers of armored plating and reached Nerv HQ.   
  
Misato: Less than 10 hours, then... /Dr. Akagi, what's the status of Unit-01?/   
  
Ritsuko: /The chest is completely melted down to the third armor plate. We're lucky that the functional center wasn't damaged. We'll have the armor swapped out in two to three hours./   
  
Misato: /What about Unit-00?/   
  
Ritsuko: /Reactivation is no problem, but there are still feedback problems./   
  
Misato: Damn it! Eva Unit-00's just not battle-ready! (sighs) All right, what about Shinji? How's he doing so far?   
  
Makoto: No physical damage. The nerve pulse is a bit unstable, but it's within acceptable parameters. He's still under sedation.   
  
Misato: (shakes her head) Tsk, tsk...doesn't look good, does it?   
  
Makoto: Shall we raise the white flag?   
  
The 29-year-old girl turned towards her subordinate officer with a little grin and after playfully toying around with the pen she was holding, pointed it towards him.   
  
Misato: Mmmm....nice idea! But before we try that, we've gotta try everything we can. We'll have plenty of time to regret our decisions when we're dead.   
  
---   
  
Chris walked around back and forth inside one of Eva Unit-01's large alternative transport elevators thinking about the events of the day. She just could not believe Nerv would just put them on standby, but upon hearing from Misato herself about what the Angel could potentially do, Chris just bit her lip and waited.   
  
Chris: These things keep getting worse and worse each day, huh?   
  
Amuro: I know, Christina. I'd even doubt if we could even take a peek at it, it'd blow our mobile suits' heads off.   
  
Camille: Well, if it's that dangerous, why in the world do we have to fight it? It's not like it's also our job as well to defeat these Angels...   
  
Amuro: But it *is* also our job, Camille. Well, at least not too directly. We're just here to give support to Shinji when he needs it and, like what Captain Bright told me earlier, we'll stage a counterattack against these Titans if they ever do come out. I'm sure everything will be fine.   
  
Walking away from them for a while, Camille put in one of his quarters in a nearby vending machine and got his can of Diet Mr. Pibb. He looked around the streets of Tokyo and wondered how in the world did some of the buildings here just "sank" to the ground. He had never seen anything like it in all his life of living in space.   
  
Camille also wondered why these streets of Tokyo were so...empty all of a sudden. He had been hearing things on TV once or twice that Tokyo was quite a busy place to be in. Anyway, he thought, he must be going back to where Amuro-sempai and the rest are.   
  
The blue-haired boy finally came back and gave each of his comrades a can of Diet Mr. Pibb. He drank some from his can and looked up at the 18-meters-tall mobile suits that were before him.   
  
Apolli: Hey, I didn't ask for "Diet"!   
  
Camille: Well *excuse* me, Lieutenant Apolli. It's not my fault the machine ran out of regular ones. Besides, the regular ones are a little too...umm, sugary for the recommended daily dosage.   
  
Apolli: Well, you could have gone for root beer instead...   
  
Amuro: (drinks) Mmmm...this stuff's good! Haven't tried any soda drinks for a long time now...hey, thanks for the cool drinks, Camille!   
  
Chris: Mmhmm, I'm sure Bernie would like some too...   
  
Camille: Umm, well, thank you...   
  
Amuro: By the way, Christina. Whatever happened to your fiancé Bernard?   
  
Chris: (grins) Oh, Bernie's good, yeah! He's uhh...he's living in my condo back in Dublin and is spending his time preparing for our wedding!   
  
Amuro: Why's he not with us, anyway? He could be a good addition to either the Kalaba or the AEUG, I've heard he was once a Zeon mobile suit pilot...   
  
Chris: He was a *rookie* pilot, sempai. I'd doubt if he could be a great addition to us, but I'm sure he'd be good. Heh heh, I never knew it was him piloting that Zaku I fought back in 0080 until I accidentally turned on that communications radio link and he heard me yelling back there! (giggles)   
  
Camille: So you've known him even before you fought against him in a dogfight?   
  
Chris: You could say that, but I didn't know he was a Zeon soldier when we started going out together. He's such a sweet guy...you know, Camille, if you and Amuro-sempai and even Apolli and Roberto here ever get to know him I'm sure you'll all get to be very good friends! (giggles)   
  
Camille: (grins) Heh heh, and I'm sure he thinks you're the coolest girl in the world too. Well, this is me giving you an advanced greeting of good luck on your wedding day, eh?   
  
Chris: Thanks, Camille! Hey, what about *your* lovelife, Camille? How are you and that cutie Fa doing, hmm?   
  
Camille: Well, you've probably seen her in the past few days that the AEUG and the Kalaba have been together. She's doing good, actually...when she's not drinking that regular Mr. Pibb stuff... (leers at Apolli)   
  
Apolli: Now what the hell's wrong with regular Mr. Pibb? I think it's perfectly delicious and sweet too, unlike that Dr. Pepper stuff that's been out in the markets lately...   
  
Camille: Oh, nothing's wrong with it, man. It's just that Fa gets a little more than umm...hyper when she drinks that Mr. Pibb stuff. No, let me rephrase that, she gets ditzy...and when she gets ditzy, I have to get patient and relax when she starts dragging me all over town to go shopping. Geez, I remember that day when...   
  
Chris: (pats Camille on the back) Awww, poor baby. Well, you'll just have to deal with it because she IS your girlfriend, after all. One thing, though: you may have to tell her to stay away from regular Mr. Pibb because I *have* been hearing that that stuff has too much sugar in it.   
  
Apolli: It does NOT--!!   
  
Roberto: Lieutenant...umm, maybe you shouldn't behave that way over some crummy soda drinks, okay? If Commander Quattro hears about this I'm sure he'd--   
  
Amuro: Heh heh heh heh, you guys are funny, eh? Well, that's good, at least we'd conserve enough of our energy to fight against the Titans if they ever do come here. I guess this is gonna be a long wait, so have your fun while you're at it.   
  
And so Amuro's comrades chatted with each other, mostly about their day-to-day experiences with people, their past experiences with their current military affiliations, and some other stuff. Amuro looked at the Angel through a pair of binoculars and thought about how such a thing could exist. He never believed in space aliens anyway ever since he was a kid, but the current situation has quite taken a different impact on him. Somehow, his Newtype senses tell him these Angels aren't just your ordinary run-of-the-mill space aliens...   
  
His gaze turned towards the moon and his thoughts turned towards his own life experiences as a soldier in the Federal Forces. Once a mere stubborn, cowardly, 15-year-old lad who had just been pulled into service between the Zeon and the Federation, nothing much has changed now that he was 22 years old. His cowardice and stubbornness almost got the best of him back during the time he was put under house arrest in Cheyenne, Wyoming just days ago. This has been proven when four of his old friends in the Pegasus White Base took a little visit to him...   
  
[Flashback]   
  
Frau Kobayashi (née Bow), wife to Amuro's fellow mobile suit pilot in the glory days of the Pegasus White Base, Hayato Kobayashi, former crewmember of the said Federal Forces battlecruiser and close friend to Amuro, took her now-teenaged adopted children Katsu, Retsu, and Kikka, who were themselves once merely helpless orphaned children on the White Base, on a visit to Amuro before heading off to their home in Japan. Frau was worried for Amuro as he had been kept under house arrest by the Federation for reasons unknown to her. Amuro had sarcastically commented to Frau that the Feddies might be afraid that the AEUG might get a hold on him and use him as a weapon against the Federation.   
  
Katsu sighed as he expressed his displeasement about all that has happened to Amuro so far. He sees all of this as Amuro just going with the flow and not fighting back like he used to do in U.C. 0079, even when Amuro was pinned to a corner and would have no other choice but to run away. Amuro's apparent pacifist attitude had decreased Katsu's view of the older person as a great and honorable hero.   
  
A few days later, someone disguised as a Federal Forces officer "visited" Amuro while it was nightfall and had narrowly escaped with him amidst tight security. At first, Amuro didn't really want to escape. These seven years of not being in the service had further decreased his spirit and will to fight, and he felt it wouldn't really help if he went against the Federal Forces--or in this case, the Titans--at this time.   
  
But Katsu's words haunted him to no end until that day that this unknown spy in a Federal Forces had come to "rescue" him. Maybe this was a sign for him, he thought, that someone is definitely repeating history once again. This time, this someone was from the Earth Federation and not from the Zeon. The tables have truly turned in these seven years that he has been "away".   
  
And now, as Amuro, the spy, and his companions were speedily escaping from Cheyenne, from Wyoming, and finally from the U.S. West Coast, he had taken upon himself that someone out there must know they must take action. He wasn't exactly sure if these rumors of what the Titans did on Side 3 were true, he just knew something had to be done.   
  
[End Flashback]   
  
---   
  
There was that same darkness enveloping him once again. Shinji turned his head around and saw a faint vision of himself when he was but a young lad of six or seven.   
  
Shinji: W...Where am I...?   
  
There were two, three other familiar figures who were with the young Shinji and it looked like the other two, who were older than him and the other figure, were talking to Shinji.   
  
Young Shinji: Oh, it's you, Uncle, Auntie! (looks at the other figure sourly) You had to come too, Asuka?   
  
Uncle: Hello, Shinji!   
  
Auntie: Shinji, we have something for you...   
  
Young Asuka: Hmph! I jus' wanna see what yer up to again so I can murderize ya! Bleahhhh! (sticks out her tongue at Shinji)   
  
And then there was shown to him an image of a small cottage near the four figures. The younger version of himself seemed happy; but he almost knew too well what was going to happen.   
  
Shinji: It's...it's my old study room...heh, now that I think of it, it's pretty primitive for spacenoids to make wooden study rooms anyway...but still...   
  
Uncle: You're going to work here from now on, Shinji. It's pretty cozy here since you're going to be in the garden.   
  
Auntie: Yes, and that's because we'll be enrolling you in junior high next year. Aren't you glad? Too bad Asuka's uncle here told her she was going to school on Earth, she really wanted to get into school with you!   
  
Young Asuka: (blushes) I did NOT! I dun' wanna go to skewl wid Shinji! He's much too messy when he does this n' that!   
  
Young Shinji: (smiling) Thanks...thanks, auntie. Thanks, uncle...an' no thanks to YOU, Asuka.   
  
Shinji: And after that, I told myself that I'll work better when I'm alone. I did well on my own, actually. I never really needed my dad anyway...   
  
And there was an image of a younger version of him again, walking down a certain road in his home colony when he was still living in Side 7. He happened upon a certain part of the road and saw a bicycle that looked like it was abandoned by its owner. The bike looked like it was still intact, so he thought maybe--   
  
Federal Forces MP: Hold it, kid. That your bike?   
  
Young Shinji: N...no, b-but someone had thrown it away, an' I found it just lying there, so I--   
  
Federal Forces MP: It's not nice to lie.   
  
Young Shinji: (sweating and shaking his head) Honest! It's the truth!   
  
Federal Forces MP: That's what they all say, kid. Let's have a little trip at the station, is that okay with you?   
  
And there was an image of that same younger version of himself sitting on a chair across a rectangular table. The younger Shinji was being questioned by another Federal Forces MP, probably the chief in in this district of the colony. Shinji knew all too much how he felt that day.   
  
Federal Forces MP: Name?   
  
Young Shinji: Shinji Ikari.   
  
Federal Forces MP: And your address?   
  
Young Shinji: .....   
  
Federal Forces MP: Who's your guardian?   
  
Young Shinji: .....Gendo Ikari.   
  
A door slammed open near Shinji and his very worried aunt rushed to his side.   
  
Auntie: SHINJI! What did you do?! You should have *told* us if you wanted a bike!   
  
Young Shinji: (looks away) No...   
  
Auntie: Your father gave us enough money for that...   
  
And as the memory of his aunt's voice faded away, Shinji had felt the bitter feelings for his despicable father he had felt that day. That's not what happened, he told himself over and over again. That's not what happened, Auntie...   
  
Shinji: Dad...you wouldn't have come to pick me up even now. But if Mom were alive...would she have come for me...? Mom...   
  
---   
  
Tears streamed down Shinji's face as he found himself waking upin a hospital bed. To his surprise and as he said the word "mom", the first person he had seen eye to eye by his bedside was...   
  
Shinji: ...! Ah...A-Ayanami...!   
  
Rei kept her silence as she poured some milk from a carton to a glass and prepared Shinji's meal. Shinji though it was almost too much like...wait a minute. Was he buck naked? Oh my god, he thought, now Ayanami's seeing *me* naked! Aaaargh!   
  
Rei: Here's some food. They said to get you to eat something once you woke up.   
  
Shinji: (sits up, covering his nakedness with a hospital blanket) ...I...I don't really feel like eating anything.   
  
Rei: I think you should eat something before we go. We will leave in sixty minutes.   
  
Shinji: (looks at Rei, puzzled) ...huh?   
  
---   
  
Misato: /How's the positron rifle coming?/   
  
Somewhere else in Nerv HQ, Nerv technicians and some few AEUG technicians and engineers as well were busy assembling and making final adjustments on some kind of a large rifle-like weapon made seemingly and especially for the Evangelion Unit-01's use against the fifth Angel.   
  
Nerv technician A: /I swear we'll make it happen in three hours. You have the word of the technical development department on that! Just leave it to us!/   
  
Misato: /All right./ How's the outlook on the energy system?   
  
Makoto: It's currently 3.2 percent behind schedule, but we'll make it by 2310 hours--somehow.   
  
As always, when an anti-Angel operation was underway, the two grand pooh-bah's of Nerv were standing above their underlings in an elevated place in Nerv HQ's main control room. Fuyutsuki, the elderly second in command, who was standing beside a seated Gendo Ikari, rubbed his chin in thought of Misato's battle tactics against the Angel. Gendo, however, was doing yet again his trademark "hands clasped at the edge of his nose" and just simply observed what his captain will have been doing.   
  
Fuyutsuki: I'm amazed the JSSDF Labs let you requisition that positron rifle! And then to requistion EVERY watt of power in Japan for a sniper shot at extreme range...you've come up with a rather bold plan, Captain Katsuragi.   
  
Misato: (turns towards him) It was the most effective option, sir, given the time remaining to us. If we can't neutralize the enemy's A.T. field, our only chance is to punch through it with a concentrated high-order energy point!   
  
Gendo: I see no reason to oppose you, Captain Katsuragi. Go to it.   
  
And as Nerv prepared for battle, the Angel was still consistently drilling away to the underground Nerv HQ. Six hours and forty-five minutes remaining to contact...it's all the time Nerv has got.   
  
---   
  
Rei: Here is the schedule for the operation that will begin at 0000 hours tomorrow. Shall I begin? "Pilots Ikari and Ayanami will assemble at the cage at 1730 hours. At 1800 hours, Eva Unit-01 and Unit-00 will be activated. 1805 hours, launch. At 1830, arrive at the temporary base on Mt. Futago. Await further orders. Commence operation at midnight."   
  
Shinji: (sighs) ...I have to get back in that thing...? After what I just went through...?   
  
Rei: If you don't want to, why not just run away again?   
  
Shinji: ...!!   
  
Rei: I can pilot Unit-01. It won't take long to rewrite the personal data.   
  
Shinji: (stares hard at Rei) .....   
  
Rei: (begins to leave the room) Well, then. I'll see you in sixty minutes. Make sure you eat something.   
  
Shinji just shivered in his hospital bed as he saw Rei leave the room. As he twiddled the hospital food around with a spoon and fork without any hint of enthusiasm as far as getting back to pilot Eva Unit-01 was concerned, he thought of what might happen next if he had battled the Angel for the second time. It didn't matter if Rei were with him this time, it was just that once again, there was that fear of getting hit by that particle beam attack and, the possibility that he might be killed this time.   
  
---   
  
As Tokyo was still a really big city by the time of U.C. 0087, the helicopter flying above had no need to worry about the Angel eliminating it. The helicopter was announcing the imminent blackout throughout Tokyo and throughout all of Japan at midnight. The announcement was all over the news as well, but this didn't really seem new to Kensuke Aida anymore, who was in fact watching TV through the TV feed of his digital video camera. They were once again, on the rooftop of their school, anticipating Eva Unit-01's launch from underground.   
  
Kensuke: (sounding impatient) All RIGHT already, we get the idea! They don't have to keep yakking about it.   
  
Toji: Yo, Kensuke! You sure about da time? We're s'posed to be evacuated by now!   
  
Kensuke: I took a peek at Dad's data. This is definitely the right time!   
  
Rumblings from under them had started, and when it came to, they saw Eva Unit-01 from across a hill walking towards a certain direction. If this was an anime presentation, there would have been hearts on Kensuke's eyes right now.   
  
Kensuke: (sounding very excited) There it is!! A-a-a-a-an Evangelion...!! Wow, and there's Unit-00 too! This is just so COOL!! Hmm...what do you suppose that big shield that Unit-00's holding for...?   
  
Toji: Hmmm...so Ayanami's with him this time...'EEEEEEYYYYYYY YOU TWO!!!!!!! KICK SOME ASS!!   
  
---   
  
Night was falling deeper as the Angel was still keeping a constant pace as to drilling its way towards Nerv HQ. Secondary and tertiary adjustments were being made for the power transfer from all of Japan into Nerv HQ and finally into the positron rifle as the first part of the execution of Misato's plan.   
  
Mt. Futago was just a small distance away from the Tokyo city proper, but it provided just that much defense should this anti-Angel operation be executed successfully. Misato and Ritsuko were briefing Shinji and Rei, who were once again clad in their skintight plugsuits, about what they're supposed to do in the execution of this particular operation.   
  
Misato: All right. Listen carefully to what we're about to say. This long thing here is what we'll call a "positron rifle". Nerv requisitioned from the Japan Strategic Self-Defense Force research labs. It's still pretty much an experimental weapon, though. According to our calculations, it can punch through the enemy's A.T. field even at this range. However, it's a precision instrument, not intended for field operations--AND a system we've thrown together in a big hurry. Hopefully the AEUG might be able to help us in upgrading its system so we can be able to use it in field operations but we'll worry about that later. Now about Unit-00's large shield: we've jury-rigged it from teh bottom of a single-stage-to-orbit rocket that was given an ultra-electromagnetic coating. It can withstand the enemy's beam for seventeen seconds. Shinji, you will be the gunner in Unit-01.   
  
Shinji: Yes, ma'am.   
  
Misato: Rei, you will be handling defense in Unit-00.   
  
Rei: Yes, ma'am.   
  
Misato: Rei, this is because the synchro rate between Shinji and Unit-01 is higher. Precise operation is absolutely necessary this time.   
  
Ritsuko: Now, Shinji, positrons are affected by the Earth's rotation, magnetic field, and gravity--they WON'T travel in a straight line. Don't forget to correct for that.   
  
Shinji: But I haven't trained for stuff like that yet.   
  
Ritsuko: Don't worry, just do it by the book. Just pull the trigger when the markers are centered on the target. The computer will do the rest.   
  
Shinji: What if my first shot misses...?   
  
Misato: It would take twenty seconds to cool, recharge, and fire the second shot. We anticipate a counterattack within that time. If you can't dodge it...it's all over. In teh last extremity, Rei's shield will have to protect you.   
  
Shinji: (thinking) If the shield lasts for only seventeen seconds...I guess there *is* no second shot.   
  
Misato: It's time. Get ready, you two.   
  
Shinji and Rei: Yes, ma'am.   
  
---   
  
Total darkness soon envelops Japan. Shinji sat next to Rei, a gap separating the pedestals they were sitting upon. Both of them looked over the horizon, a faint bluish-violet light outlining the shape of the mountains. Shinji turned his gaze towards Rei, who, as usual, seemed to just blank out staring into nothingness.   
  
Shinji: I guess we may be dead soon...   
  
Rei: Why?   
  
Shinji: ...h...how can you be so calm? You've been put through so much danger already. Why do you pilot it...?   
  
Rei: ...because...it's my link.   
  
Shinji: ...to my dad...?   
  
Rei: I have nothing else...it's like I was born to pilot an Eva. If I stopped being a pilot, I would have nothing left. That's the same as being dead.   
  
Shinji: The same as being dead...? Well, then...I guess I was like that before I came here.   
  
Rei: .....?   
  
Shinji: I hated everything. I was totally apathetic...I just didn't care. But I put up a quiet front, playing the good little kid. I...I guess maybe I was just going through the motions of living.   
  
The boy was once again plunging into deep introspective thought. Wh...why am I telling Ayanami all this? he asked himself. Because we're in the same situation...? No...maybe it's because...maybe it's because Ayanami has even less than I do. I...I don't know how...but it sure feels that way...   
  
Rei: (looking at her watch) It's time. (stands up to go to her Eva Unit-00) Let's go.   
  
Shinji: Hm...? Oh, sure...   
  
Rei: Ikari-kun...   
  
Shinji: ...what?   
  
Rei: You won't die. (turns towards him) I'll protect you.   
  
The albino girl left Shinji agape with wonder as she climbed up to the entry plug of her blue Eva Unit-00. This little talk with Rei added much to Shinji's sense of an air of mystery surrounding the girl.   
  
Rei: Goodbye.   
  
Shinji: .....   
  
And the clock struck twelve.   
  
---   
  
Makoto: This is it.   
  
Misato: /Shinji, all the power in Japan is in your hands. Are you ready for this?/   
  
She didn't really have to remind him, Shinji thought upon himself as he tried to relax. Evangelion Unit-01 was lying on its front like a true blue sniper with the positron rifle aimed at the Angel's distance from Mt. Futago.   
  
Shinji: /Yes, ma'am!/   
  
His fellow Eva pilot was ready as well, just in case everything would go wrong. Final adjustments to the power transfer into the Eva-01's positron rifle was ongoing as they speak, and at the same time, powerhouses across Japan hummed as they transferred all of their power into Tokyo. Shinji gulped as he realized this was going to be one of the biggest nights of his life.   
  
Misato: Commence Operation Yashima!   
  
---   
  
Camille looked through Amuro's binoculars as this all was taking place. He was just so amazed at what Nerv has done for Shinji's Evangelion Unit-01; it was aiming at the Angel with some kind of a sniper rifle with some large cables connected to it. Quite clever weaponry, he thought. Maybe he could apply this concept of a long-range sniper rifle to the "Zeta Gundam" project he had been doing? It was sort of a far-fetched idea, but it could work.   
  
Camille: An internal power source could probably help...   
  
Apolli: You talking to yourself again, Camille?   
  
Camille: (leers at him) Shut up, man. I was just taking mental notes on what I could do with what Shinji-kun is doing right now. And don't you make any freaking bad jokes about that word "mental" again, got that?   
  
Apolli: Geez, Camille. No need to get so cranky about it...of course, you're the one who mentioned the word "mental" in the first place. I know Newtypes were just so good when it comes to ESP kind of stuff but I never guessed that--   
  
Amuro: That will be enough of you two. Apolli, you should stop bugging Camille here and just "sit down and watch the show from afar", so to speak. And Camille...you know, if you want to take down notes on something, at least just put them on paper, okay? We don't really want anyone to think you're nuts or anything...   
  
Camille: Ehhh, whatever...   
  
Chris: What are you looking at anyway?   
  
Camille: Miss MacKenzie, Amuro-sempai, I was just wondering if I could apply the concept of a long-range rifle to one of my projects, the "Zeta" Gundam. It'll be similar to Miss MacKenzie's GM Sniper Custom's sniper rifle, but it'd be having longer range and more firepower to it. What do you think...?   
  
Amuro: Sounds interesting, actually. This "Zeta" Gundam project of yours, I understand, is still in its blueprint stages, right? I'd say it's brilliant, to say the least. A combination of the Rick Dias' armor and the Gundam Mk-II's mobility...it would definitely be a top seller among technicians in the Federal Forces and most probably, the Titans as well.   
  
Chris: Hmm, I'd think it's pretty interesting as well. Oh, heh heh, I'm speaking as a layman, of course. I wouldn't really reach up to both your levels of intelligence! (grins at them impishly)   
  
Camille: Uh huh...well, anyway, everything's getting more interesting by the minute...I got this gut feeling it's gonna start any...time...   
  
---   
  
Misato: ...NOW!! Fire now, Shinji!!   
  
After it had been confirmed that the countdown to the point that all energy would be transferred into the positron rifle and that Shinji's guided target system had been confirmed to have a zero-error level, Misato immediately ordered Shinji to fire at the Angel after also receiving reports that a "high-energy reading from within the target" had been detected.   
  
Shinji clicked one of his levers, and Eva Unit-01 followed in synch with his movement. A thin, narrow stream of light went out from the rifle and had speedily gone its way towards its target. The Angel had done likewise with its own concentrated beam attack. Just when it looked like the two beam attacks were about to meet, nature interfered a little by way of the Earth's gravitational and magnetic pull, making the two beams of light go AROUND each other and totally miss their respective targets.   
  
There was an explosion just a little distance away from where Unit-01 was, and likewise with the crystalline Angel. The Nerv staff that had put up a fairly medium-sized tent as their temporary control room braced for the impact that the Angel's beam attack had caused.   
  
Shinji: (grits his teeth) Damn it, I missed!   
  
Sirens went off in the Nerv staff's temporary control room as the Angel's drill had finally made its mark. Misato yelled orders to Shinji to reload and make preparations for the second shot, reminding him to let the positron rifle's barrel cool down for a bit. Shinji did as he was told and changed positions just a bit across Mt. Futago.   
  
Maya: I'm getting another high-energy reading from the target!   
  
Misato: (thinks) Damn it! It's too soon!   
  
While he was just preparing to fire his second shot, Shinji screamed bloody hell as he tried to brace himself at the Angel's imminent attack. Misato was right, it *was* too soon, and Shinji awaited his doom "at the Angel's hands", so to speak, if this particular Angel had any hands at all.   
  
Shinji opened up his eyes to see something blocking the Angel's attack from him. He was just too surprised to know who it was, but after a second or two, realization slowly sunk in as the light from behind his savior's shield illumnated its this, humanoid savior.   
  
Shinji: (gasps) A...Ayanami...!!   
  
Ritsuko: The shield isn't going to last!   
  
Misato: Are we ready to fire?   
  
Makoto: Ten more seconds!   
  
Viewing his crosshairs which were already locked, the Third Child waited impatiently for the signal for him to fire at the Angel. He gasped as he saw Eva Unit-00's shield melting and finally giving way, the Angel's particle beam slowly frying the blue Evangelion.   
  
Shinji: AYANAMI!!!!!   
  
Misato: /FIRE, SHINJI! FIRE *NOW*!!!/   
  
Pulling the lever on his right hand, the Third Child did as he told, putting all of his anger into it, and his Eva Unit-01 followed. There was a massive explosive noise as the positron rifle fired its second shot at the cerulean Angel. This time, the Angel didn't have any time to form an A.T. field, making Shinji hit his mark, leaving a small dent in the Angel which fell to the ground in flames.   
  
Misato, Ritsuko, Maya, and Makoto: WE *DID* IT!!!   
  
Makoto: Captain Katsuragi, Ma'am, we've just received word that the enemy bore has stopped--directly above HQ! It's fallen completely silent!   
  
Soon enough, the blue Evangelion Unit-00 fell hard into the ground, looking like a human being who had just fainted. Worried for Rei's life, Shinji instinctively and forcibly took off the protective casing keeping the other Eva's entry plug inside and pulled the latter off of the Eva's back. He lay down the test tube-like entry plug, which had force-ejected the LCL from within itself, into the ground and had ejected his own entry plug from Eva Unit-01.   
  
Shinji rushed towards Rei's entry plug and banged his hands on its locked hatch.   
  
Shinji: Ayanami, you okay in there?!   
  
He took it upon himself and forced the hatch open, totally ignoring the searing pain that the emergency lock did for his hands. As soon as the entry plug's hatch opened, Shinji went inside immediately to see if Rei was all right.   
  
Shinji: Ayanami! H...hey, Ayanami! (tries to shake her into consciousness)   
  
The First Child opened her eyes slowly as she heard her name being called. It was quite a familiar voice, but still, she couldn't make heads or tails of it. As she was coming to, Rei Ayanami's weak voice called out a name...   
  
Rei: ...Commander...Ikari...? Ah...it's...you, Ikari-kun...   
  
Shinji: Ayanami! I...I'm glad...I'm glad you're alive...real glad...   
  
Rei: Ikari-kun...you're...you're crying again...you were crying yesterday, in your sleep...why are you so sad?   
  
Shinji: (wipes off his tears) Dummy...*that's* not it! I'm crying because I'm happy...happy you're alive. Don't you see?!   
  
Rei: (turns away slightly) ...because you're happy...? S...so you cry when you're happy, too...I'm sorry, I...I'm not sure what expression I should make at a time like this. Even though I should be happy...   
  
Shinji: Well, if you're happy...you should smile, Ayanami. (grins slightly at her)   
  
The Third Child helped his fellow Eva pilot to stand up and finally get up and out of the entry plug. And as if it was out of the blue, the pale-skinned, ice blue-haired girl with ruby-red eyes held his hand in response and smiled at him. It wasn't quite a cutie-girl smile, nor was it a false, cruel one.   
  
Rei Ayanami's smile was purely innocent and was just so beautiful.   
  
But she blinked a little as she had noticed Shinji looked like he was dumbfounded by it all. Shinji shook his head and slung her hand across his shoulder and just helped her out.   
  
Rei: What's the matter?   
  
Shinji: (tries to hide his reddened face) Uh...it's nothing...   
  
A beautiful full moon illuminated both of the Children as they walked towards the Nerv temporary control room tent. They were both silent for a long while...   
  
Shinji: Ayanami, you should stop saying "goodbye" when you leave on a mission. It's too sad. We might not have anything besides the Eva program or even the AEUG right now...but, well, as long as we stay alive...someday, we'll be glad that we survived.   
  
Rei: ..... (looks at him and smiles again)   
  
---   
  
Misato: What the hell did you say?!   
  
Makoto: Ma'am, we're detecting a small squadron of five or six unidentified mobile suits coming this way! They've even got...oh my God...it's the Alexandria just off-shore, and it looks like it's in a position to make offensive fire at this direction!   
  
Misato: OH, SHIT!! It's the Titans! Lieutenant Hyuga, inform Lieutenant Amuro's mobile suit squadron of this invasion and tell them to prepare for a counterattack! Ritsuko, get our emergency teams to retrieve Rei. I'll go out there and tell Shinji to get back into Unit-01!   
  
Ritsuko: But Captain Katsuragi, it's much too dangerous out there!   
  
Misato: Don't worry, I'll go with the emergency teams once we've got Rei back! I'll see you later!   
  
---   
  
Camille: ...!!   
  
Amuro: Here they come!   
  
Chris: I've been waiting for this!   
  
Apolli and Roberto followed suit, climbing into the cockpits of their own black Rick Diases and all five mobile suits came out of Eva Unit-01's transport elevator to make for a counterattack against the Titans.   
  
They all ran towards Mt. Futago to give support to Shinji and Rei, but by the time they had gone there, the purple Evangelion Unit-01 was already standing, its full 40-ish meters of height towering over them, and an ambulance rushed past their mobile suits of about 18 to 20 meters in height.   
  
Amuro: /Shinji, are you all right?/   
  
Shinji: /Yeah, Amuro-san, I'm just okay here! Damn it, they picked the wrong time to attack!/   
  
Amuro: /Indeed. How about the other Eva, what are you going to do about it?/   
  
Shinji: /Misato told me to tell you that we should protect it along with the positron sniper rifle if the Titans ever attempt to get it. Amuro-san...I...I don't know if I should go on with this.../   
  
Amuro: /You're still worried about killing those people in the mobile suits?/   
  
Shinji: /No, it's not that. It's just that...I-I couldn't put it into words, but.../   
  
Amuro: /You'll get used to it in a while. Like I told you, if you don't fight back, all they'll do is run over you and you might just be killed, Shinji. One doesn't run away when in a battle; one has to give it all he's got, even if it means eliminating your enemy, whether it be the Angels or the Titans. Look, if you're not up to this, it's okay--/   
  
Shinji: /Amuro-san, I think I'm up to this right now. I just have to deal with the fact that I will be killing people from now on...and what's more, this has truly been an exhausting night for me.../   
  
Camille: /And these people you are about to kill, Shinji, have done so much evil practically almost all around the colony system...and I have this feeling that's not even the half of it. You think these people deserve your mercy, Shinji?/   
  
Shinji: /...I already said I'd *do* it, Camille-kun./   
  
Amuro: /Very well, Shinji. Let's go./   
  
---   
  
Shinji's five companions in mobile suits led the way to this second part of the battle as their mobile suits had boosters installed behind them. The Third Child followed behind, looking every now and then to the abandoned Eva Unit-00 if someone else was "picking on" it.   
  
Amuro radio'ed all of them to stop and all of them should hide in some strategic position somewhere along the coastline and that Shinji would act as a decoy to deceive their enemies. He further explained this was to be somewhat of a split between an ambush and a counterattack against this coming amalgamated wave of the Titans and also probably the Federal Forces.   
  
The purple Eva Unit-01 stood in a defensive stance as Shinji saw a small horde of reddish mobile suits speeding their way across the waters and towards his direction. He could faintly recall his discussion with Kensuke the other day about a few of the newest models of mobile suits that the Titans have produced with the help of none other than the infamous Anaheim Electronics. He was a bit surprised as he had always thought Anaheim was an ally of the AEUG, like what Quattro had once told him...anyway, he had deduced that this small horde of mobile suits might be RMS-108 Marasai's, judging from their appearance. Shinji had even recalled Kensuke telling him that the Titans might not be using their own Zaku II's anymore...   
  
He squinted a little bit as he focused his sights on what appeared to be two or three flying mobile armors accompanying them. Now this type of mobile armor, he hadn't recalled discussing with Kensuke--it looked like a weird-looking jet plane and it was *flying* to boot. Shinji readied himself with his defensive stance and his progressive knife as the Marasai's closed in on him.   
  
Amuro: /Get ready, Shinji! Here they come!/   
  
---   
  
Kirkricon tried to relax himself inside the cockpit of his new Titans-issue ORX-005 Gaplant mobile armor. This mission wouldn't really be the same without Jerid around...but anyway, he thought he might be able to pull this one off without any assistance...or at least without any assistance from Jerid. He shook his head at the fact that he was stuck with being assigned a wingman he had considered to be a newbie to battle. What's more, his new wingman was a nice-looking woman in her middle twenties with wavy, long, purple hair. This girl wasn't Lyla, but the moment he looked at her eye to eye, he immediately knew she was no pushover.   
  
There was that, and the fact that she came from Augusta Laboratories, a Georgia-based research facility sponsored mainly by the Federal Forces, made the Titans lieutenant think twice about his new partner's ability as a pilot. He had heard rumors that Augusta, while doing some esoteric studies about the origin and nature of Newtypes, have done some weird experiments involving the brainwashing of chosen individuals and making them into "artificial Newtypes". Kirkricon had high suspicions that this girl, Rosamia Vadam, might actually be one of those "artificial Newtypes".   
  
Kirkricon: /Hmph. I don't know about what the people upstairs are thinking, but I trust you might be one of the best choices that Augusta had sent to us. Rosamia, are you sure you want to fight with me against the AEUG?/   
  
Rosamia: /...of course. I know of nothing else but to fight the AEUG./   
  
Kirkricon was rather surprised at this girl. Did he hear it right, that she knew of nothing else than to fight? There must be something going on inside Augusta...but he didn't care anyway. This terrorist group known as the AEUG must be stopped at all costs.   
  
Kirkricon: /Very well said, Rosamia. Now let's get going and squash 'em all!/   
  
The Titan lieutenant's fellow mobile suit pilots cheered at this battle cry and had further raised their morale by a certain notch, but he had also noticed that Rosamia's voice was not among them. Quite a mysterious girl indeed, this Rosamia...   
  
---   
  
The battle that ensued was fast, furious, and bloody. Amuro, Camille, and the others had done quite some kills with the small regiment of Titan and Federation Marasai's, but it wasn't without difficulty as the enemy mobile suit pilots were quite skilled themselves. And there was also the fact that the Marasai's had some kind of edge over the usual Zaku's that the Federation had come to use these past years in terms of mobility and performance. Six AEUG pilots against thirteen Titan and Federation pilots was quite an unfair battle indeed. Camille had thought while he slashed away at an enemy Marasai or two with his Mk-II's beam saber, if Quattro and Emma were only here he would have...   
  
Kirkricon and Rosamia transformed their flying Gaplants into their respective normal mobile suit modes and got into the action, taking potshots at the twin black Rick Diases with beam gun attacks. Apolli and Roberto dodge and retaliate with Zaku II-esque bazooka attacks but they too, miss at their appointed targets.   
  
Compared to his Eva Unit-01 which was twice an average mobile suit's height, Shinji tried to catch up at his opponents that were like little children skating around him in roller blades what with the Marasai's moving around the place with some help from the boosters attached to their backs. But then, Shinji knew better than to just be a sitting duck in the middle of a battle: he kicked the head off of one of the Marasai's that was getting next to him and started to fight back at the Titans.   
  
It was quite difficult for him, though, as he hadn't been trained to fight mobile suits in the first place, much more with these new models of mobile suits that he had thought to have been equipped with apogee boosters or vernier thrusters or whatever Kensuke might have told him a while ago. He thought, these guys are practically zipping all over the place...and I...I *feel* like I'm just too heavy...   
  
Shinji: (thinking) Well, no matter! I don't want anybody pushing me around like this! Nggggraaaaaarrrghhh!!!   
  
As if by sheer luck, Evangelion Unit-01's foot slowly but surely came down hard on another Marasai just as it was coming to him. The Gundam Mk-II and the Rick Diases were doing their finishing rounds on the rest of the Marasai's, but were having difficulty as to the Gaplants. Kirkricon and Rosamia were doing a little hit-and-run thing with their AEUG opponents as they had, almost in unison, once again converted their Gaplants into flying mobile armor mode, taking potshots at whatever they could take their aim: buildings, enemy units, it didn't matter.   
  
Rosamia: (emotionless tone) Center target. Lock in. Fire at target...   
  
Kirkricon: /Hey, you ought to be doing better than that, little lady, if you want to hit something. You're one of those "artificial Newtypes" anyway, why the hell can't you hit something?/   
  
Rosamia: /...sorry, sir. It won't happen again./   
  
The purple-haired beauty set her beam rifle's aim on the white Gundam Mk-II as it jumped up high into the air, thanks to its vernier thrusters, and as it was coming down with an assault against one of the remaining Titan Marasai's with a beam saber.   
  
As the blue-haired Newtype slashed away at an enemy Marasai, Camille sensed the flying Gaplant's imminent beam rifle attack and dodged it, the pinkish stream of light just grazing across his Gundam's head and destroying a nearby building. He followed suit and ran around, trying to snipe the Titan mobile armor with some assistance from Amuro and Christina acting as cover. He had quite some difficulty sniping the MA-mode Gaplant as it flew around the city like a true-blue jet fighter, but he took potshots at it anyway, even though for the most part he was missing his target.   
  
Apolli and Roberto were doing their finishing rounds on the remaining Marasai, valid proof that they, as former Zeon mobile suit pilots, weren't just some pushovers, even though they weren't Newtypes themselves.   
  
Roberto: /Pathetic excuses for Titans, aren't they, Lieutenant Apolli?/   
  
Apolli: /Indeed. I'd almost wonder wh---AAAAAGHHHH!!/   
  
The AEUG lieutenant never saw the other flying Gaplant closing in beside him and shot his Rick Dias three times straight in the cockpit. Roberto cursed under his breath as he saw his comrade's mobile suit just explode in an instant and seeing that Apolli had no time to push his "eject" button in time--if it *had* one in the first place.   
  
Kirkricon was more than enthusiastic to destroy all of them, after what the AEUG has done to his small platoon of Titan and Federation mobile suits. At least, he thought, they weren't hitting him or Rosamia. So far.   
  
Amuro separated from Camille and Chris and took aim at Kirkricon's Gaplant. It truly has been quite a long time since he had been involved in these types of battles, but he was so sure of himself that he wasn't getting rusty...at least not yet. With some assistance from Roberto, who was firing his Rick Dias' beam rifle at the Titan flying mobile armor, he took aim with his own green Rick Dias' bazooka and fired at Kirkricon.   
  
It was all so swift and deadly as Kirkricon had almost narrowly dodged Amuro's and Roberto's joint attack, but didn't, and in an instant everything went up in white light and fire from his mobile armor's explosion. Surely, before he died, he must have known his opponent was none other than the legendary former-Federation now-AEUG captain Amuro Ray himself.   
  
While generating an A.T. field, Shinji picked up two of the remaining Marasai by their feet while they were wildly shooting at Evangelion Unit-01 with beam machineguns to no avail. Shinji slammed the two Titan mobile suits at some nearby buildings quite hard, feeling the impact of their explosions in his "hands" through the direct sensory link that his Eva Unit-01 had provided, and tried to hurl the mobile suits' remains forcibly at Rosamia's Gaplant.   
  
Being an artificial Newtype herself, Rosamia had anticipated this and dodged the attack. Then...it all came to her in a flash. That's...a boy inside that huge purple mobile suit, she thought...but she somehow sensed that the boy wasn't the one who was dangerous, but the mobile suit itself. Visions of herself being conducted as an experiment in a familiar-looking laboratory suddenly came back to her; the brainwashing she must have gone through must be pretty tough, but Rosamia just couldn't remember it all.   
  
Even more grim visions of the impending apocalypse had come to her as she kept her gaze at the Evangelion Unit-01. A bloody scream resonated within herself.   
  
Rosamia: (thinking) Th--I--it's--th, THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING!!! AIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!   
  
Seconds later, when she came to, she soon finally realized she was outnumbered five to three, and with a shocked, shaking voice, radioed her remaining companions in their Marasai's to retreat for the day, firing a signal flare into the air and launched towards the Alexandria.   
  
Soon enough, there was coming from the direction of the Titan flagship a shower of beam attacks heading towards the remaining AEUG mobile suits and Eva, which they had dodged by ducking for cover.   
  
Camille, Chris, and Amuro still tried to snipe at the Alexandria and the escaping Titan mobile suits, but the closest they got to hitting either one of them was grazing them.   
  
Chris: (angrily) /Damn, we lost them!/   
  
Amuro: /Whew...this was sure a lively evening, wasn't it?/   
  
Camille: /Yeah...that other flying mobile armor...I...I bet there's something about the pilot...something, or someone really dangerous...I, I heard her screaming like she was so scared of.../   
  
Amuro: /You...sensed something, Camille? And did you just say the pilot was female, and that she sounded like she was scared?/   
  
Camille: /Y...yeah, I guess so.../   
  
Amuro: (thinking) How come *I* didn't see it coming...? I've got this feeling he's more powerful than Lalah...or Char...or the three of us combined. This boy just doesn't know it yet...   
  
Amuro: /Shinji, can you hear me? Are you all right? Shinji...?/   
  
Shinji: (after 20 seconds of silence, then gulps) /Y...yeah. I'm okay.../   
  
---   
  
Quattro: So the Titans have tried a direct assault on us, even though you people were quite exhausted already. Dirty tactics are to be expected of these criminals in uniform.   
  
Bright: What do you think we should do, Commander?   
  
Brex: You would know what to do as well as I would, Captain Bright. We will prepare for a counterattack and launch for Jabrow in 10 hours. Our informant, Officer Reccoa Londo, has managed to get herself a high-frequency radio and told us that Jabrow's defenses are quite down at the moment, since the federation concentrated their defenses at space, more specifically, at Gryps. And oh, Captain Bright...one of your former crewmembers was with her too. I believe it's one chap named...Kai Shiden, do you remember him?   
  
Bright: Kai's with one of your--our--officers at Jabrow? But I thought he just worked for Reuters now...he told me when we all parted and went our separate ways...anyway, it's good to hear from him again. I wonder how he's been...   
  
Hayato: (thinking) Kai...so you're back, old friend...   
  
Amuro didn't say anything as he kept his stare at the lean, handsome man in red and in sunglasses, even though his thoughts had returned to the old days upon hearing that his friend in the Pegasus White Base was still alive. One question, though, rang in his mind.   
  
Why was his old enemy, Char Aznable, here in the same room with him? And more importantly, why was he his ally this time?   
  
Quattro: If I may be excused, Commander, I'll just be going to the little men's room.   
  
Brex: Oh, you don't have to ask permission from me, Lieutenant.   
  
Quattro walked down the halls just outside the briefing room and searched for the nearest men's room, which he finds not so far from where he was. After taking his much-needed leak, he washed his hands and then his face.   
  
He wasn't quite surprised as he looked up the mirror in front of him and caught the sight of Amuro standing behind him with crossed arms. It was obvious that the 22-year old redheaded Captain wasn't looking very pleased that Quattro--or in this case, Char--was here in the first place.   
  
Amuro: Char.   
  
Quattro: Well, well...if it isn't you, Amuro. It has been seven years, hasn't it?   
  
Amuro: What are you doing here?   
  
Quattro: Heh, I'm not exactly under oath here now, am I? I'm expecting you would know already, but with that question, I may have to admit that I'm obliged to answer. As you probably know by now, the Zeon have failed in our first attempt to exterminate the Earth Federation. It was pretty embarrassing on my part, that I have failed to defeat you, Amuro. But at least, my revenge on those who have killed my father has been executed, and now the Titans are starting to show their true colors. Aren't you the least bit sympathetic for those innocent civilians who died at 30 Bunch?   
  
Amuro: I know about it, but I haven't regarded it more than just a fancy rumor until now. It's very sickening that the Titans, being as they are the right hand of the Earth Federation, second only to the Federal Forces, should do this act of terror. I regret that I haven't done something about it, but what could I do? Wyoming wasn't a home to me anymore, it was a prison...but Char, you still haven't answered my question--   
  
Quattro: You just wouldn't let me finish, Amuro. And I would have no need to, since I know you know what we, the AEUG, are fighting for, right?   
  
Amuro: ...but why?   
  
Quattro: (pauses for a moment) I've head of these rather uninteresting stories about you, Amuro. Personally, I think it's pathetic for someone like you to just sit back and watch the Titans destroy everything in their warpath to supremacy. Actually, one of the reasons I came back to Earth is to laugh at your pathetic little ugly face once I see you again, you little twerp. Heh, I was thinking you were afraid to join in on the action because you might hear Lalah's voice haunting that thick head of yours again...   
  
Amuro: (leers at Quattro for a moment and frowns, one eyebrow raised) You...you freaking big old motherfucking fogy, you just came here to hurl insults at my face? Jesus *Christ*, Char...you're even more pathetic than *I* am! And what the hell's the deal with me "hearing Lalah's voice in my head" so that I'd be too wimpy to join the Kalaba and...and your AEUG, huh?! With that, I'd think you've got an even more weird imagination than how I've known you to have!   
  
Quattro: Whatever. Anyway, what's done is done. I wouldn't even care anyway even if you were to be my superior officer, Amuro. Just one thing I'll remind you...(points one finger at Amuro) don't ever, EVER get in my way, understand?   
  
Amuro: (snorts) Heh, as long as you don't get in MY way, everything's cool.   
  
Quattro: (pauses for a moment to wipe his trademark sunglasses) Do you actually believe these Nerv people? All their talk of..."Angels" invading Tokyo...it's all too amazing and preposterous to me.   
  
Amuro: I had thought so too, until I had fought one of them myself. These things are HUGE, Char. There's that, and it almost as if they're actually alive, too. But what could these "Angels" want with Nerv?   
  
Quattro: (blinks) Alive? You mean they're like these typical "aliens from another planet"?   
  
Amuro: Yeah, roughly....but that's just coming from my experience on battling one of them. Why?   
  
Quattro: Hmm...the idea might sound silly, but it's not so surprising. When I was in Side 3 I've heard a lot of fancy tales going on about the Second Impact not being what it appeared to be, that the impact of the colony drop wasn't actually the one that destroyed most of the Earth's population. There was actually something in Antarctica that had made a cataclysmic explosion prior to the colony's arrival in the Earth's *atmosphere*...looks like history isn't really giving us the hard facts now, is it?   
  
Amuro: (rubs his chin) I guess you're right on that one, Char. But what could the events that happened in Antarctica mean?   
  
Quattro: (shrugs) Who knows? Nerv...or someone other than Nerv we still don't know about...they might be hiding something. By the way...whenever the "little ones" are around, please don't call me "Char". "Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina" will be fine. Well, I'll see you at the briefing room...twerp. Heh heh heh...   
  
The curly redheaded Kalaba captain tried hard to hold back his scornful feelings towards his old rival in red as the latter just so casually walked out of the men's room and away from Amuro's sight into the Agama's briefing room. Silently, Amuro just cursed Char--Quattro--out of his frustration for the man and tried to wash it all away with faucet water. His thoughts wandered over to how the imminent (to his own point of view) war between the AEUG and the Titans would escalate into. He frowned at the possibility that this war might be worse than that which happened in UC 0079, and wondered why he had offered his services, this time, *against* the Earth Federation, in the first place. Millions of lives will once again be lost, he thought. Why won't it all end? Did mankind reach the point where it is now too greedy for its own good?   
  
He chuckled a bit as his thoughts had focused on the newer threat, the "Angels", as Nerv officials would put it. Quite appropriately named creatures, these Angels might be the solution to the problem at hand. At this point, Amuro had a grim thought...   
  
Maybe there's actually Someone out there Who wants to end mankind's foolishness and greediness.   
  
---   
  
And so the Kalaba and the AEUG had ten hours to prepare for the assault on Jabrow, South America, one of the Federation's few strongholds on Earth, provided that no more Titan assaults would happen in Tokyo that morning. AEUG Supreme Commander Brex Forra wasn't very sure if he could use the Evangelions, though; Nerv Captain Misato Katsuragi told him on behalf of her superior officer Gendo Ikari that they might need the Eva's lest another Angel attack might occur.   
  
Brex: (puzzled look) Huh? But I thought Commander Ikari had already left things up to you, Captain Katsuragi...   
  
Misato: (rubs her chin in thought) You're right on the part of me being given the responsibility for the Eva's, Colonel. Hmm...maybe we could do something about this, since right now Rei needs a lot of recovery to do after her battle with that Angel. What if maybe if Captain Amuro Ray, Lieutenant Christina MacKenzie, and Shinji would stay here in Japan for the time being while Lieutenant Commanders Quattro and Emma, Camille, and the rest of the Agama crew would go on to Jabrow as planned?   
  
Emma: But that's...   
  
Brex: ...the same thing as before. I know. (sighs) Well, things like these can't really be avoided, can it? Since the Kalaba are the original people assigned to assist Nerv on its anti-Angel operations, I suppose it's all right if the AEUG should go to South America as it is. All right, like what Captain Katsuragi had said, who were originally from the Kalaba are going to stay here in Japan along with Evangelion Units-01 and 00. Captain Katsuragi, I will advise you to be prepared as we, the AEUG, always are, if ever there should be either another Titan assault or an attack from the Angels.   
  
Misato: (nods) Umm, right...err, can I call you "Colonel", sir?   
  
Brex: Anything will be fine, Captain, since technically you're not really under my command as Nerv still isn't "officially" allied with the AEUG, the Kalaba, or both. Lieutenant Emma, please inform Lieutenant Quattro tha--oh, he's back already.   
  
The automatic sliding door closed quietly behind the blonde man in sunglasses wearing his trademark red AEUG uniform. As Quattro entered the room being addressed by his chubby elderly superior officer, he covered his mouth and made a little "ahem".   
  
Quattro: What is it you wanted to tell me, Commander?   
  
Brex: Please inform Camille and the others in the Agama to be ready for departure in less than 10 hours and make all necessary repairs on our mobile suits and GM-II's before we launch for Jabrow.   
  
Quattro and Emma: Consider it done, Commander.   
  
Brex: Right. And umm...while you're at it, please try to loosen up for a little bit. Ten hours is still a long way from now, you know, but we still have to be prepared just in case, all right? Dismissed.   
  
The old AEUG leader saluted back to his underlings who had saluted him at the mention of the word "dismissed". Quattro and Emma soon left the room, following Hayato on his way out as well. Bright, however, chose to stay in the briefing room for some additional instructions that Brex might tell him.   
  
Brex: Well, that certainly solves the problem. Now, Captain Bright...what do you say we go for another little round of shogi? I'd say I can beat you this time....   
  
Bright: (blinks) Colonel, with all due respect, I don't think you really learned from our last game, did you?   
  
Brex: (raises an eyebrow) Now what the heck is that supposed to mean? You were lucky the last time we played, and that's final!   
  
Misato: (sweatdrops and makes a silly face) Ummm...what do *I* do here, sirs...?   
  
Brex: Huh? Oh, Captain Katsuragi, you may leave us for Nerv HQ now. I have no further instructions except for some...discussion I'd like to have with Captain Bright Noah here...(glints at Bright)   
  
Bright: (blinks innocently) What did *I* do now?!   
  
Brex: Oh, just shut up and get the shogi board and pieces from the chest over there!   
  
Misato: Eh heh heh, umm, if you will excuse me...(walks towards the automatic sliding door behind her and leaves the room) Jesus...they're playing shogi at a time like this? What kind of...oh!   
  
Misato never saw Amuro just in front of her and bumped into him accidentally. They both lost their balance and fell to the floor, and anyone who might have seen their present situation right now would think the pretty 29-year-old Nerv captain was actually "doing" the average-looking 22-year-old Kalaba captain/mobile suit pilot. His eyes having been widened by surprise, Amuro gulped real hard and tried to re-evaluate what was happening, even now that Misato's c-cups are pressing against Amuro's chest. He couldn't even try hard enough to wipe off the redness in his face right now.   
  
Amuro: Err...umm...(thinks) Oh my GOD! She's all over me! She's so soft and she smells just too good...I...I think I'm going to have a nosebleed...ughh...   
  
Misato: Eeek! Sorry about that! (rises up quickly and helps Amuro up as well) I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going...   
  
Amuro: Umm, it's okay, really! Heh heh heh heh... (scratches the back of his head after picking up Misato's papers that fell to the floor)   
  
Misato: Eh heh heh heh! Umm...you're Captain Amuro Ray from the Kalaba, right? I've heard a great deal about you...   
  
Amuro: Uhh...yeah! That's my name! (offers Misato a handshake) And if I'm not mistaken, you're Captain Misato Katsuragi from Nerv, right?   
  
Misato: Yup, it's just me, li'l cute old Misato! Heh heh heh heh! Umm, so you're going to Jabrow with the rest of your AEUG pals and umm...?   
  
Amuro: Ah, no. Actually I and my other people from the Kalaba Forces will be staying around here in Japan with you guys from Nerv to lend some protection from any more attacks from the Titans or the Angels or anything...   
  
Misato: Umm, thank you, I guess...but it's not really necessary for the Kalaba or the AEUG to help Nerv against the Angels...I mean...   
  
Amuro: (gives Misato her papers) Hmm?   
  
Misato: (looks at her watch and accepts the documents from Amuro) Gah, I must be wasting a lot of your time with my blabbering! Eh heh heh heh, I think I must go back to Nerv HQ immediately, Commander Ikari must be waiting for me right now. Umm, well, it was a pleasure to have finally met you, Captain Amuro Ray! I'm...leaving now. Bye-bye! (walks off quickly in a silly manner and waves at him)   
  
As he was waving back to Misato, Amuro couldn't help but wipe the sweat off his brow and chuckle a little bit as he saw the silly older lady walk away from him. Somehow, he has this strange feeling that he's seen her before...it almost just feels like a "past life" experience sort of thing. He tried to shake off the thought that he definitely needed wear some sort of a tuxedo with a black cape behind him...   
  
The same thoughts plagued Misato as she drove off her blue Sentra from inside the Agama and into her destination which was a transport pod system within the geofront that led to Nerv HQ. Aside from the fact that she thought the legendary RX-78-2 Gundam pilot was oh-so-cute and that she was surprised with her penchant for younger guys, she sort of felt she had a past life with him. She shivered at the sudden thought of herself wearing some skimpy schoolgirl's sailor outfit and a tiara and some sort of magic wand to match.   
  
Misato: Geez...I must be watching too much "Sailor Moon" lately...I have to cut down on the anime for a while...   
  
---   
  
And since they still had a lot of time in their hands, Misato told Shinji to go relax a little bit and "have fun" in Tokyo City while they're waiting. Shinji just shrugged and went out with his friends Kensuke and Toji to go scan the city for something interesting. Shinji mentioned something about the Eva's and the Kalaba not being required to prepare for departure, but Misato told him this was a "just in case" situation, much to Shinji's displeasure. He reasoned out that he hasn't had time to sit back and rest for a long while.   
  
Misato: And that's why I'm giving you time off to rewind! Okay, off you go now!   
  
Shinji: (grumbles) Yeah, whatever...   
  
Misato: Oh, and don't forget to bring us home some yakisoba while you're at it! After what we've gone through, I haven't had time to cook our food anymore, so just buy some or we won't have dinner, okay?   
  
The Third Child blinked. She wasn't going to cook dinner tonight? He slapped himself, pinched himself even, if this was all a dream or not. He soon realized that it wasn't as he rubbed the red hand mark on his face and grinned. Shinji rejoiced within himself that he wouldn't have to go through Misato's HORRENDOUS cooking for one night. He immediately switched back to his usual "sullen boy ridden with angst" face and went on his way.   
  
Misato: Take care, okay Shinji?   
  
It's a miracle that Misato even had the time to make observations on a video tape shipped to the main Nerv HQ in Japan from one of their headquarters in Germany, but the details on the observations will have to be put on a special probe for later.   
  
The tape showed a red Evangelion unit engaged in battle with what seemed to be the sixth Angel: the battle was being shown at sea with the red Eva using old-fashioned water-borne battleships and aircraft carriers as footholds. The red Eva had proven itself, at least to Misato, Ritsuko, and Rei, to have some sort of exceptional prowess in battle as the tape showed further footage of the battle against the whale-like Angel: the pilot seemed to have anticipated the Angel lunging at the Eva from underwater and waited for it to do that with the Eva's progressive knife extended. All three of them saw the monstrous Angel being sliced in half by the red Evangelion, its blood splattering all over the place. Rei, as usual, wasn't even the least bit pleased or surprised at this...like she had emotion for anything at all.   
  
Rei: .....   
  
Misato: Well, the pilot seems to be a very good one, does it Professor Akagi?   
  
Ritsuko: Yes, and it was all over when two battleships fired at it with missiles at point blank range. The Angel never even got the chance to generate an A.T. field as Evangelion Unit-02 defeated it in such little time as thirty-six seconds. The Second Child's abilities, no doubt, surpass that of Shinji's own as we could see right here--evasive maneuvers, decision making, piloting skills--whatever angle you look at it, she's perfect.   
  
Misato: But why was the Angel even there?   
  
Ritsuko: It could have been after Unit-02. It was being transported here to Japan anyway.   
  
Misato: So where's Unit-02 now?   
  
Ritsuko: Cage No. 5--cold storage. Asuka's checked into a hotel near here.   
  
Misato: We never knew Asuka could be this good...even better than Shinji or Rei, even. It's as if she's one with her Eva or something to that essence...   
  
Ritsuko: In any case, Asuka should be coming here to Nerv HQ within those ten hours that the AEUG had allotted for their departure to Jabrow. If it would have been up to me, we would have let the Eva's go along with the AEUG to South America, but you'd never know when another Angel is going to appear.   
  
Misato: My thoughts exactly. Hmm... (looks at Rei VERY curiously)   
  
Rei: .....   
  
Ritsuko: (blinks) Misato, why in the world are you looking at Rei like THAT?   
  
Misato: (chuckles and grins as she also has a mental image of Shinji) Well, from what we'd know of Asuka, she could be the most *normal* one of our bunch of three exceptional Eva pilots, since she HAS already finished school from a German university at fourteen. Heh heh heh heh!   
  
Ritsuko: (leers and chuckles) You are an idiot, Captain Katsuragi. I wouldn't really think so if I were Shinji, since he's lived around her since childhood, from what I've seen in their profiles.   
  
Misato: (frowns) Awww, she called me an idiot again, Rei! What do you have to say about that?   
  
Rei: .....   
  
Misato: .....   
  
Ritsuko couldn't help but giggle at her colleague and friend.   
  
Misato: Well, in any case, I'll be introducing her to the whole staff and to Rei here, since there would be no need anymore to introduce Asuka to Shinji, but that task should be done after we go through the official procedures. Heh heh, this is something for you and Shinji to look forward to!   
  
Rei: .....   
  
Misato: (looks curiously at Rei) Don't you ever talk?   
  
Rei: ...you're stepping on my foot, ma'am.   
  
---   
  
Kensuke: I didn't know there were Eva pilots other than you and Ayanami, Shinji. Did you?   
  
Shinji: I didn't. But I have this weird feeling that Ayanami knew...   
  
Toji: Oh yeah...speakin' of Ayanami... (gets Shinji in a headlock) You little quack, wat's dis stuff I've been hearin' dat you n' Ayanami are getting along quite well?!   
  
Kensuke: Yeah, I've heard about that too, Shinji! What the hell's the deal with that?   
  
Shinji: (blinks) Me? With Ayanami? Have you two gone nuts or something? Where in the whole fricking universe have you gotten that information?   
  
Kensuke: (tries to look stern) We have a lot of sources, Shinji. Besides, from what we've known of Ayanami she's never talked to ANYONE for no reason at all!   
  
Toji:, Yeah, *reliable* ones, at dat. Speak up now or do I hav'ta force it out of ya, y'li'l creep?!   
  
Shinji: You two idiots, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!   
  
Toji: (leers) Oh yeah? Den why's yer face all red wen we mentioned Ayanami? Somethin' happened between youse, didnnit?   
  
Shinji: Geez...my face is red because you're *strangling* me, you big dope! And absolutely NOTHING happened between Ayanami and me! It's the truth, I swear!   
  
Kensuke: Dammit, why does Ikari get all the good points? Can't you be satisfied living with a beauty like Misato...?   
  
Toji: (unhands Shinji, still leering at him) Well, y'better treat us ta somethin' if ya expect us to believe you, y'li'l runt!   
  
Shinji: Now hold on there, brother. Why do *I* have to pay for your food? I don't even have enough money to buy *myself* a decent meal nowadays...and this money I have right now isn't really mine! This is Misato's and she asked me to use this ONLY for our dinner tonight!   
  
As Toji and Shinji continue to bicker over financial matters involving the fate of their respective stomachs, Kensuke's gaze turned towards quite a beautiful sight at a video arcade they just happened to pass by that morning. It was a pretty redheaded girl about their age wearing a *very* flimsy pale yellow spaghetti-strap one-piece dress with a flowing skirt, its hem cut down just an inch or two above her knees. The girl was apparently trying to get her prize at one of the patented UFO catcher games inside the arcade.   
  
Kensuke: (points at the girl) T...Toji, look over there!   
  
Toji: Uhhh..whaa? WHOA, WHADDA BABE!!!   
  
Kensuke: She is TOTALLY my type, man.   
  
Toji: Yeah, an' she almost looks like she's some kinda movie star or somethin'!   
  
The third member of their group of three, however, wasn't quite pleased as his two companions were at the sight of an extremely pretty 14-year-old redheaded girl. He felt more like his jaw was going to drop to the floor. He felt more like he was...terrified...of the girl as he immediately recognized who she was.   
  
Shinji: (eyes widened in shock) A...A...Asuka...   
  
Toji and Kensuke immediately caught sight of Shinji just looking at the girl like they were and leered at him evilly. Testosterone took over and they started to make a mock beating of the poor boy.   
  
Toji: Aargh, yer not allowed ta LOOK, Ikari!!   
  
Shinji: Why the hell not?!   
  
A gentle breeze soon swayed the redhead's skirt as if it was going to reveal what was under it, and Toji and Kensuke couldn't help but to take a peek at her. Shinji just shook his head and cringed in terror if ever Asuka saw these two numbnuts peeking at her.   
  
Much to her misfortune, however, the UFO catcher's claw dropped the plush doll that Asuka was supposed to have as a prize. Soon a loud "ACH!" could be heard from her, hinting at her German ancestry and started to kick at the UFO catcher machine, hinting at her displeasure of the situation.   
  
Asuka: SCHEIßE! What the hell's wrong with this damn machine?!   
  
As Shinji wasn't surprised at all by his old friend's outburst of emotion, Toji and Kensuke were just too shocked for words and started to walk away from the scene.   
  
Toji: Now, too bad about her personality. Let's just go home, y'two.   
  
Shinji: (thinking) Jesus Christ, she's even become worse than Misato...   
  
Kensuke: (after a long pause) Just once, I wish a girl like her could order ME around! (drools and starts to have hearts "sprout" from his eyes)   
  
Asuka caught wind of all the bickering behind her and turned a pryingly pissed-off gaze at the three boys. She had immediately recognized one of them and ran towards him as if she was about to hug him, much to Toji and Kensuke's stupefaction.   
  
Asuka: Shinjiiiiiiii!   
  
Shinji: Oh, no...here it comes...err, hi, Asuka! You're finally here in Japan! But how come I--OWW, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!   
  
The redhead had just done a well-placed punch at Shinji's gut and gritted her teeth. She didn't quite go with Shinji's expectations of Asuka actually hugging him just because they haven't seen each other in weeks. Shinji just curled up in pain as Toji and Kensuke gazed at the boy's withered form.   
  
Asuka: You never change now, do you, Shinji?! Still the same old PERVERT you used to be, I see! And you've even brought your two idiot minions with you, how could you do this to such a poor, innocent girl like me?!   
  
Shinji: (holds his gut in pain) Owwww...poor and innocent...? Somehow I think you're being dishonest again, my little redheaded freakazoid friend..."poor and innocent" doesn't really describe you, Asuka...guys, this is my "friend" from my old home in Side 7, Asuka Langley Sohryu...   
  
Asuka: (crosses her arms) Hmph! Just be thankful I didn't want to kick your sorry little ass again, wimp! (looks at the two boys) Each of you, give me a hundred yen, now!   
  
Toji: What?! What the hell for?!   
  
Asuka: I'm out of tokens. It's not much, just a hundred each.   
  
Toji: You *crazy*?! Why do we hav'ta do that?! Ikari, you big loser, she's YOUR friend, YOU give her 100 yen!   
  
Shinji: No fricking way, Toji!   
  
Kensuke: Cool, she's shaking us down...!   
  
Asuka: Well, *hello*, it's a peeping fee, numbnuts! You three perverts saw my panties, didn't you?   
  
Toji: Well, err...not yet...umm, no dat's not--   
  
Asuka: Oh, puh-LEASE! Don't tell me you don't have *any* money with you. (snorts) Hmph, of course, if you *are* broke, that could explain the way you dress. Pathetic.   
  
Toji: (grits his teeth) Ya bleach-brained BITCH! What did ya say?!   
  
Kensuke: Uh-oh. This is bad...   
  
Toji: (grabs a hold of Asuka's forearm) Dontcha git on no high horse jus' 'cuz ya think yer cute! I'll teach ya some manners!   
  
Asuka: Ewwwww! Don't TOUCH me, monkey-boy!   
  
Kensuke, and especially Shinji, tried to hold back Toji's state of being pissed off from Asuka, and in the struggle, Asuka accidentally bumped into some ugly bald guy who was playing some shooting game behind her. The guy shouted, "OH, NOOO!" as the words "Game Over" flashed on the video screen and totally lost it.   
  
Asuka: Oops! Sorry!   
  
ugly bald guy: (turns around to face Asuka and points an accusing finger at her) Ya t'ink "sorry"'s gonna cut it?! Finally got to da last level and t'anks t'you, you blew it all up! So whatcha gonna do about it, girlie?!   
  
Kensuke: Now THIS is bad! Hey, Toji, do something!   
  
Shinji: Yeah, that bald dude's got YOUR accent, come on!   
  
Toji: Wat does DAT have ta do widdit?!   
  
ugly bald guy: (picks up Asuka's chin) Yeah, yer *gonna* be sorry...!   
  
The ugly bald guy never saw the sole of Asuka's shiny low-cut red shoes hit his jaw quite forcibly, sending him reeling to the ground. Toji and Kensuke were once again too shocked to get a grasp of what's happening and just watched on. Shinji, however, just stood by and watched boringly as he anticipated what's to become of this ugly bald dude...or his companions.   
  
Now THIS was getting way out of hand.   
  
ugly bald guy: Hey, guys...wanna come git a piece of this bitch?   
  
companions: Oh, yeah! Heh heh heh heh...   
  
Asuka: Hmph! I expected a jerk like you would DARE call your fellow losers for back-up against a mere KID like me! Oh my goodness, LOOK OVER THERE! It's Ranma Saotome!   
  
Asuka pointed towards a certain random direction, to which the goons' gazes had so stupidly followed. The feisty redhead shouted, "OPEN WIDE!!" and kicked one of the goons in his crotch. Asuka then started to pick off the goons one by one with elbows to the gut and backhand punches and whatever else martial arts moves one would perceive Asuka to have known.   
  
As Toji dragged Kensuke, who was just so paralyzed at Asuka's display of "coolness", out of the scene, another group of goons appeared in front of the three boys.   
  
Goon A: Wait up!   
  
Goon B: Where d'ya think YOU'RE goin'? We're not through with YOU yet.   
  
Shinji: Now just wait a minute there--   
  
Toji: We ain't got nuttin' t'do wid' dis!   
  
Goon A: Shut yer yaps!   
  
One of the goons then punches Shinji full-force in the face, making the boy fall to the cement just as hard. As he tried to pick Shinji up for a second shot, Asuka was already cartwheeling her way like an acrobat towards the goon's direction and lands a point-blank roundhouse kick to his face. Once again, Toji and Kensuke were just stupefied at Asuka's martial arts prowess and stared on as the girl whacked the rest of the goons with a chair.   
  
Asuka: And you call yourselves MEN?! Where are your balls?!   
  
Toji: (whispering) Did she come from the circus or sumthin'?   
  
Kensuke: I don't know, but she's just so COOL! It's like love at first sight, Toji! Ooh baby I love--eh? What the...there's cops at five o'clock! (points to three police cars heading towards their direction)   
  
Asuka: Ach, crap! (starts to run away) Smell ya later, Shinji!   
  
Toji: (tries to help Shinji up) Hey Ikari, don't sleep on da sidewalk, we better git outta here! Dey'll tink it's OUR fault we messed up dis place!   
  
Shinji: (rubs his cheek) Oww...I think I lost a tooth...   
  
Kensuke: Wow...she's so fast...so cool. Hey Ikari, why don't you introduce me to your cute pal there one of these days, huh?   
  
Exhausted from what had happened so far, the three of them stopped running and panted like dogs as soon as they knew the police cars weren't there anymore. The three had decided to part ways for the moment as Shinji had told them he had to go back to Nerv HQ to do some "stuff he had to do".   
  
Toji: Ya gonna be okay, Ikari?   
  
Shinji: (rubs his bruised cheek and looks back sourly at Toji) Uh...yeah. Somewhat. Later, guys...   
  
Kensuke and Toji: (waves at Shinji) Yeah, man. Later...   
  
---   
  
Toting the grocery bag containing his and Misato's dinner for the evening, Shinji bit the tip of his Nerv ID card and grumbled at the "luck" that he just had experienced...and it all happened in just a matter of half an hour. Shinji wondered why in the world he was the only one who got hit in that fight earlier...and almost gagged as he saw Asuka's image just whooping those goons' asses. Truth to tell, he wasn't even the least bit surprised that Asuka knew a lot about martial arts...he could just faintly remember her showing him her karate tournament trophy when they were both ten-year-olds...he'd just never seen her in action like that.   
  
Shinji: Asuka's sure gotten more worse than a bitch the last time I saw her--uh--urk!   
  
The Third Child stopped in his tracks as he was getting to the entry gate into Nerv HQ. Shinji's jaw just dropped to the floor as he saw an all-too-familiar cute and sexy figure clad in a flimsy yellow dress with long, red hair kicking the hell out of the ID card-swiping machine yelling, "WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH THIS DAMN MACHINE?!"   
  
Asuka: They just issued this card! Why won't it take it?!   
  
Shinji: (points at the figure, trembling, terrified voice) I...it's you!! What the hell are YOU doing here, Asuka?!   
  
The fourteen-year-old German-Japanese redhead slightly turned around to see her old plain-looking "friend" of the same age and raised her eyebrow at the sight of the boy. Shinji seemed to be more shocked as he caught sight of a Nerv ID card similar to his own being held by Asuka.   
  
Asuka: Well, well, what do we have here? It's Mister Wimpazoid himself, Shinji Ikari, in the flesh! And that should be MY question, what the hell are YOU doing here?   
  
Shinji thought it better to explain it all by showing Asuka his own Nerv ID card, but her reaction wasn't quite what he had expected. It was as if his redheaded friend's eyes had bugged out from learning the fact that Shinji Ikari was indeed the Third Child and a *fellow* Evangelion pilot at that.   
  
Asuka: Y...you're the Third Child?!   
  
---   
  
Asuka's earsplitting scream that resulted in that discovery had reverberated all throughout Nerv HQ and probably throughout the geofront itself and the AEUG battlecruisers it had presently given shelter to. Camille blinked and looked curiously for a while at Emma whose eyebrows had met in wonder and tried to hold back a snicker.   
  
Emma: What do you suppose *that* was?   
  
Camille: Asuka had just landed in Japan and into Nerv headquarters. (shakes his head) Tsk, tsk...I fear Shinji's gonna have the time of his life again...   
  
Emma: (nods) Oh, you mean that nice German-Japanese girl who was with Shinji we met weeks ago? Strange, I had always thought Asuka was actually nice to Shinji...   
  
---   
  
And so, there was only five hours left before the AEUG would leave for Jabrow, even though Supreme Commander Brex Forra was more than ready to launch, since almost all of his men and ace pilots have already prepared themselves for another big battle. Bright had suggested that they leave immediately and hope to catch the Titans by surprise, which Brex had immediately accepted and done faster than anyone can say, "Captain Nemo is Nadia's father".   
  
There was only so much awe if one were to see the Agama and the Radish launch from the underground Nerv geofront and slowly elevate itself into the low atmosphere. Brex had chosen to let one of the Agama's support ships, the Mont Blanc, stay in Japan as the Kalaba's--and eventually Nerv's--default "base of sortie operations".   
  
Too bad, though, Misato and her coop hadn't been there to witness the Agama's and the Radish's launch out of the geofront, for she was introducing their "new" Eva pilot, the "Second Child", Asuka Langley Sohryu, into the rest of her colleagues. She had thought, however, that there was no need for Asuka to be introduced to Shinji since Asuka had known him since they were children.   
  
Misato: So, umm, this must be VERY exciting for you, Shinji, since Asuka's here and she's going to be one of us now, right?   
  
Shinji: (whispers to himself) Yeah...about as exciting as a cabbage...   
  
Asuka: (raises an eyebrow and whispers to Shinji) I *heard* that.   
  
Misato: Oh my goodness, I see you two are having a very neat conversation already. You must miss each other so much! (giggles) So, Shinji...where in the world did you get that bruise on your cheek?   
  
Shinji: (gulps and sweatdrops) Uh...w-what? Oh, th-this was--   
  
Asuka: (runs towards Shinji) Oh, I'm so sorry! Did that happen before? Misato, some punks were picking on me while I was shopping in the city...Shinji happened to pass by and saved me!   
  
Asuka then stood beside Shinji and pinched his buttocks so much that it really hurt and just leered at him with quite a horrifying stare. Shinji couldn't say a single word what with Asuka looking at him like that once again.   
  
Misato: (blinks) You *did* that, Shinji? Well, that's nice, it's very unlike you to show some chivalry...   
  
Asuka: I'm VERY grateful, Misato! (smiles and giggles, then whispers at Shinji smirking at him evilly) Snitch and I'll make you *pay* for it, got that?   
  
Shinji: ...!! (thinks) Oh my Lord...what have I gotten myself into this time...?   
  
---   
  
Episode 8, "The Winds of Jabrow"   
-------------------   
  
The purplish glow of the huge Sephirothic Table of Divine Names embedded onto the ceiling and floor seemed to glow a little brighter inside Gendo Ikari's rather large "office" somewhere inside Nerv HQ.   
  
Gendo: So, we meet again, Kaji Ryouji-dono.   
  
Kaji: So we have. Actually, as you've noticed, I'm way ahead of schedule as to my arrival here in Headquarters. But that's not the reason I came here...   
  
Gendo: I have noticed that. Does the...Committee know of your arrival?   
  
Kaji: Heh, of course. But they will have yet to see how this..."baby" of ours has become.   
  
The mysterious 30-year-old Nerv agent, whom one from the AEUG would immediately recognize as just merely one of the anti-Titan organization's representatives for their numerous financiers, carefully lay his familiar metallic suitcase over Gendo's rather large office table. Opening the suitcase, Kaji showed its contents--the fabled "Adam", or rather known to Nerv and the "Committee" behind it as the "first Angel"--to his Supreme Commander. Gendo wasn't the least bit surprised at what he saw, as he had expected the seemingly "helpless" larva-esque form of the Angel to grow--mutate--in such little time. "Adam" was now about the size of a large vegetable such as a papaya, and for some reason, it made the Nerv Supreme Commander's lips make that familiar smirk once again.   
  
Kaji: What do you think?   
  
Gendo: It looks good, I'm afraid. Let me remind you that the Central Dogma will always be ready and waiting if ever any...sudden developments should occur.   
  
Kaji: Indeed.   
  
---   
  
And since it was about lunchtime, Misato decided to treat her three "lively" 14-year-old Eva pilot companions to a fancy canteen just somewhere inside Nerv HQ.   
  
Misato: (takes a beer can) Grab whatever you want, kiddies! The pickings are quite slim, though...   
  
Shinji: (looks sourly at Misato) Umm...are you allowed to drink on duty, Misato?   
  
Misato: Oh, shush up, Shinji! One doesn't count! (seats herself down on an empty table) Nice fight with the Angel, Asuka! We saw it on videotape...umm, I'd heard the rumors about an amazing Second Child head and shoulders above our little newbie, Shin-chan!   
  
The three Children seated themselves as well and started to chow down on Misato's treat as they had that little discussion with their 29-year-old superior officer.   
  
Shinji: (raises an eyebrow and thinks) "Shin-chan"?! What the hell...?!   
  
Asuka: Oh, I *can't* be *that* good! Tee-hee! I mean, *really*...I still have *so* much to learn! (smiles innocently at Misato)   
  
Shinji: (face turning blue with gloom) .....   
  
Rei: .....   
  
Misato: (leers at Shinji) Why the doom and gloom, Shinji? I thought you'd be happy to have a new colleague...   
  
A few seconds later, Misato was just surprised at what had suddenly hugged her behind her back. She struggled to let go of whoever it was who was hugging her and shrieked a little.   
  
Misato: Ack! Wh--what the--who's there?! Cut it out!   
  
However, much to Asuka's delight, the Second Child's eyes lightened up at the familiar figure who was "making fun" on Misato at the moment. It was almost like Asuka was so happy too see the tall, handsome 30-year-old Japanese man with a semi-long ponytail and stubble on most of his chin...   
  
Asuka: (smiles widely) Kaji-san!   
  
Misato: WHAT...?!   
  
Kaji: (lets go of Misato) Still drinking in the middle of the day, huh...? Y'know...you're *gonna* get a gut. (grins suavely at her)   
  
Misato: (gets away from Kaji) Wh-what are YOU doing here?!   
  
Kaji: (picks up Misato's chair) That's a nice way to say hello--when we haven't seen each other in forever. I, uh, I accompanied Asuka here on a business trip from Germany.   
  
Asuka: (clings to Kaji's arm) Awwww, where've you been?   
  
Misato: (crosses her arms) Well, good for *you*. If you're done with business, can't you be on your way?   
  
Kaji: Heh, 'fraid not. No plans to leave for the time being.   
  
Misato: (stares evilly at Kaji) I see...   
  
Kaji: (looks over to Shinji) Are you Shinji Ikari?   
  
Shinji: Uh...yeah, I am. How'd you know my name?   
  
Kaji: (chuckles) You're famous...at least in *our* biz! (pats Rei's head like a puppy dog) I know Rei too, of course. The Third Child who piloted an Eva in battle--with absolutely NO prior training...and who's defeated THREE Angels AND had battled with the Titans on different occasions to boot, fancy that!   
  
Asuka: (slightly worried voice) Wow...but *I* defeated the fourth...   
  
Shinji: B...but...it was just *luck* that I won...   
  
Kaji: "Luck" is a part of ability, Shinji. It's your natural gift.   
  
Shinji: (gasps and looks at Kaji) ...!   
  
Asuka: .....   
  
Kaji: So, I hear you're living with Katsuragi?   
  
Shinji: More or less, yeah...   
  
Kaji: (grins innocently) Does she still sleep sprawled all over the bed?   
  
Asuka and Misato: .....!!!   
  
Rei: .....   
  
Shinji: Yeah, I go wake her up every morning, and she's so--   
  
Misato: WH-WH-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?! In front of children, no less! Aaargh!!   
  
Shinji: (blinks at Misato) Huh? Why's it wrong in front of children?   
  
Misato: .....   
  
Kaji: (walks away from the canteen and laughs briskly) See ya later, Katsuragi, kids! (waves at them)   
  
Misato: AAARGH, go away! (thinks) This is a nightmare...   
  
Shinji: ....?   
  
---   
  
Later that day, while the Agama and the Radish were so smoothly passing over certain islands of the Pacific Ocean on their way to Jabrow, two individuals locked in their cell were waiting for the right time to hatch their plan of escape once the AEUG land there. The whole of the former Federation base in Jabrow, South America was just swarming with Titan soldiers. The original pilot of one of the old Pegasus White Base's prototype mobile suits, the Guncannon, now "merely" a Reuters journalist, Kai Shiden, almost got caught red-handed fidgeting around with Jabrow's telegraph and fax system on his informing the AEUG of his and the said resistance group's Chief Petty Officer Reccoa Londo's situation in Jabrow. Things have not been very well, what with the two of them being detained there.   
  
Reccoa: I just hope they'd be here anytime soon...   
  
Kai: Don't worry, they will. They're your people, aren't they?   
  
Reccoa: Yeah...   
  
Kai: Hmm... (looks out his cell) If this is the price of snooping around in the affairs of the Titans, I wonder what actually *exposing* their dirty work would do for me.   
  
Reccoa: Aww, you're being so sarcastic again.   
  
Kai: Heh. Well, I suppose that's what seven years of not engaging in military activities does to you, eh? You know, I've just been wondering about one of your high officers, this "Quattro" guy. You did say he wore red threads all the time, right?   
  
Reccoa: (blinks) Yes...and what's it to you?   
  
Kai: Oh, nothing. It's just that I, uh...I remember somebody really nasty that me and my dudes in the White Base met seven years ago who also seemed to have a weird fascination for the color red. Ever heard of Char Aznable, Reccoa?   
  
Reccoa: Of course, who doesn't know who the "Red Comet" is? Wait a minute...are you thinking what I'm thinking...?   
  
---   
  
Afternoon had soon come. The journey to South America from Japan wasn't exactly a very pleasant one: the AEUG had experienced some little ambushes on their way, so Quattro (Hyakushiki), Emma (Quattro's red Rick Dias), Camille (Gundam Mk-II), and Roberto (black Rick Dias), along with a few of their other unnamed AEUG pilots in GM-II's, warded them off with just a bit of difficulty, as they were low on resources and mobile suits.   
  
All people at hand in the Agama and the Radish were prepared, amidst their very few losses in terms of their late ace pilot Apolli and weaponry and ammunition, to make their planned assault on the fabled Federation base at Jabrow, South America. Engineers, a very few of them (who also knew about mobile suits) coming from Nerv and dominantly from the AEUG, were scurrying around doing repairs on the four ace pilots' mobile suits and the two AEUG battlecruisers. As soon as Bright personally announced over the Agama's PA system that Jabrow was just ahead, Quattro and the others boarded their respective mobile suits and prepared for launch.   
  
Camille: /So we're finally getting to Jabrow.../   
  
Quattro: /Yes. This is just the beginning, Camille. We've yet to perform the whole show, so to speak. How do you feel, Lieutenant Emma?/   
  
Emma: /Actually, I feel kind of nervous right now. I mean, this is going to be one of the biggest days in my life, I'm actually making operations *against* Jabrow instead of defending it./   
  
Quattro: /I see your point. Well, you *are* formerly from the Titans, anyway, but somehow I don't really see you having any regrets about betraying them./   
  
Emma: /Why should I have any regrets at all?/   
  
Quattro: /Right. Emma, Camille, Roberto, get ready. Any time now and our first wave of attackers from the GM-II squad in the Radish will have taken flight and landed near the Amazon River. We will be following in a few minutes and take out whatever they'll have left for us./   
  
Camille: /I'm pretty sure that big quack Jerid Mesa will show up again...by now he will have known that one of his companions is already dead and I'm pretty sure he'll be thinking I killed one of his pals. Let him come to me.../   
  
Emma: (blinks) /You sound pretty determined to settle your score with Jerid, Camille. Well, if you're ready to die, that's okay--from what I've known of him, Jerid seems to get a little more "proficient" in piloting an MS whenever situations like these occur. Too bad for him, though, I've also noticed he trashes every MS he's gotten into whenever he's in battle.../   
  
Camille: /Well, Jerid Mesa is one big pathetic jerk, if you ask me. I'm not afraid to die...not just yet./   
  
Bright: /We're clearing the way for you now, people. All of you will launch immediately as soon as the hatch doors open. The Commander's counting on you, Lieutenants Quattro and Emma, Camille, and Roberto--/   
  
Fa: /But why can't I go with them? I know as much in piloting an MS as Camille does, he taught me back in Side se--/   
  
Camille just shook his head as he heard Fa's voice in the direct audio link connecting them to the Agama's bridge. True, she had some knowledge about MS piloting as much as he does, but it's just that she hasn't had any experience yet, whether it's on a simulator or much less in actual battle. All of the ace pilots could just barely hear Bright's and Fa's muffled voices in the PA system.   
  
---   
  
Bright: (still covering his hand on the microphone) Fa, haven't we had this discussion before? You will just, for the time being, stay here on the bridge and help out on the ship's navigation! You will get your chance in being one of our pilots later, understand?   
  
Fa: (throws up her hands in wee frustration) Aww, all right! Geez, I was just making a suggestion... (goes back to her work in the bridge controls)   
  
Brex: (looks at Bright) Captain, you didn't have to be so hard on the kid. And try to lower your voice down a little and stay calm, all right?   
  
The British captain of the Agama blinked. This was the somewhat the same situation that he had with his now-fiancée Mirai Yashima back in the White Base seven years ago. Bright had thought to himself, was it *his* fault that his voice sounded angry all the time? Why didn't everyone give him a decent break, just for once?   
  
Bright: (looks back at Brex) Commander, sir, with all due respect, I *am* calm!   
  
---   
  
Soon enough the second wave of AEUG mobile suits were launched from the Agama. There was already a fierce battle going on outside the said AEUG battlecruiser between their own small squadron of "outdated" GM-II's and the Titan defense perimeter that they, along with the remnants of the Federal Forces soldiers who had been assigned to Jabrow, had apparently prepared for the AEUG's arrival. Especially when one of the Titan ace pilots at hand, piloting his own black Gundam Mk-II, was less than delighted at the sight of his mobile suit's white AEUG "twin".   
  
Jerid: And the freaking girly-boy shows up once again! This time I'm *really* riled up, I'll make you pay for what you did to Kirkricon and Lyla, Camille Vidan!   
  
---   
  
The first wave of GM-II's from the AEUG had suffered quite some casualties in their battle with the Titans' seemingly upgraded GM's within the thick, dense forest surrounding the Amazon River, the infamous South American body of water which was part of the few standing Federation strongholds, Jabrow.   
  
This overpowering struggle which favored the Titans at the moment was with the help of another small squadron of assorted models of MS'es in the Titans' arsenal; in this case, this small squadron had in it six new Marasai's, five Zaku-II's, and a lone ebony Gundam Mk-II.   
  
The battle's tides have more or less turned at the appearance of a second wave of mobile suits from the AWEUG, this time, there was Quattro's Hyakushiki, Camille's ivory Gundam Mk-II, Emma's crimson Rick Dias, and Roberto's own ebony Rick Dias. Four ace pilots were all that Brex Forra needed to make this mission a success; he had full trust in his pilots since they had made their reputation from among allies' and enemies' ranks, especially with the one in the gold-colored Hyakushiki, Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina. Brex once again realized that the Red Comet would once again make his mark in history.   
  
As always, Jerid waited for the right time to ambush Camille and camouflaged his black Gundam Mk-II lying down in a sniping position within the standing timbers along the Amazon River. He aimed his beam rifle at the white Gundam Mk-II's head and after waiting for the right time to strike, he pulled the beam rifle's trigger in sadistic glee.   
  
Camille immediately sensed imminent danger behind him and made his Gundam Mk-II barely dodge the beam attack as he finished mauling away at an enemy Marasai and a Zaku-II. He knew immediately who would fire at him while his back was turned: it just had to be Jerid Mesa. Camille searched for his perennial thorn in the flesh from within the dense foliage of the forest and finds him as the black Gundam was trying to have at him with a lunge of its beam saber.   
  
Camille: /So we meet again!/   
  
Jerid: /Don't you ever learn, you snot-nosed brat?!/   
  
Camille: /You SHUT UP, motherfucker!/   
  
The white Gundam barely dodged the black Gundam's beam rifle attacks as Camille trusted his mobile suit's guidance system to help him in descending into the forest. Charging towards the white Gundam, Jerid muttered curses as he resolved to just go for a melee attack on Camille, picking his beam saber handle from behind his Gundam and activating it.   
  
Camille reacts to this by whacking the butt end of his beam rifle at the hand of the black Gundam which was holding the beam saber, giving him time to retrieve his own beam saber and engage Jerid in an impromptu swordfight between two Gundams.   
  
As Quattro's Hyakushiki blasted away at two unfortunate enemy Marasai's respective cockpits, he signaled for Roberto and Emma to fire at something that he might have mistaken for a Musai-class battlecruiser "just off his range of vision".   
  
Emma: /But what could a battlecruiser be doing here in Jabrow?/   
  
Quattro: /Just go and check it out. You'll never know what's hidden behind these trees in the Amazon until you look at it, right?/   
  
Emma: /Roger that. Let's go!/   
  
Showing their respective experiences as seasoned mobile suit pilots, Emma and Roberto easily blasted and slashed their way towards a certain direction in the southeast to see if Quattro was right--and he was. There it was, a Titan Musai-class battlecruiser looking as if it's ready for launch. As soon as Roberto saw Emma's Rick Dias do a nodding motion, he prepared to fire at it with the remainder of his bazooka's ammo as Emma did and aimed at the Musai carefully.   
  
Camille didn't need his Newtype perception to notice that Jerid wasn't giving it 100% in their fight. It was more like Jerid was the one distracting him rather than the other way around as he had noticed the Titan ace pilot was becoming more focused on only dodging Camille's attacks rather than countering them.   
  
Camille: (thinks) Come on, what the hell's wrong with you?! Fight me, dammit!   
  
Jerid: /Come on, boy. Can't you do anything better than that? You're too SLOW for me!/   
  
Camille: /I'll show you SLOW!/   
  
The young AEUG pilot suddenly had some sudden rush of whatever it was that kept him running and charged towards his cocky opponent, intent on yanking the black Gundam's head off, then its chest cockpit. Jerid was almost too shocked at this that his instincts made him react by punching the other Gundam's head, which action he had so successfully failed to do. At the right time, Camille activated his Gundam's beam saber handle as made an upwards slash at whatever body part the black Gundam had protruding--in this case, its left arm.   
  
Jerid: (thinks) Aww, FUCK! He cut off my arm! God DAMN it all!   
  
Through static, he heard a fellow Titan officer tell him that it was "time to fall back and head to the ship". After a minute of silence he affirmed the message and prepared himself to retreat from this battle, signaling his few left comrades to do so as well.   
  
As there were only five moderately damaged GM-II's left on the side of the AEUG, it seemed that the resistance group was winning the battle all too easy; some of the Titan mobile suits were retreating towards a certain Titan battlecruiser that looked like it was about to launch off. Quattro never let this opportunity pass by and ordered Emma and Roberto to infiltrate Jabrow with as few casualties as possible while he fired at the escaping Titan mobile suits with the Hyakushiki's bazooka launcher.   
  
Camille: /HEY! Where the hell do you think you're going?!/   
  
Jerid: /Heh...gotta "catch a train", you know. Seeya later, Camille Vidan!/   
  
The blue-haired boy's brow became wrinkled at this thought. He would never see Jerid running off from a fight just like that; there just had to be some reason why Jerid just escaped off like that. Camille gritted his teeth as he just let Jerid slip away from him and fired wildly at the few remaining escaping Titan mobile suits.   
  
Camille: /Hey Quattro.../   
  
Quattro: /Hmm?/   
  
Camille: /Why do you suppose these guys would escape from us? They've got us outnumbered, as you've probably seen when we first got here, right?/   
  
Quattro: /I'm wondering myself, Camille. Anyway, let's just move in and take in some civilians into the Agama and the Radish...Emma just radioed me and she said there were a lot of people here in Jabrow waiting for us to "rescue" them./   
  
Camille: /Civilians? Hmmm...this makes it all the more suspicious...anyway, let's go rescue those civilians!/   
  
---   
  
Still seated inside the cockpit of his white Gundam Mk-II, Camille moved in on his own inside Jabrow and explored the revered former Federation base with the sudden thought of someone familiar was still inside. He, along with his fellow AEUG pilots, never thought this base would just be too easy to penetrate as his Newtype senses led him to a familiar-looking redheaded young woman and some Puerto Rican media reporter. He immediately opened the door to his cockpit and called out his redheaded AEUG comrade.   
  
Camille: Miss Reccoa!   
  
Reccoa: (points at him) Hey, look it's Camille! Hey Camille! It's good to see you again!   
  
Kai: And our knight in shining armor finally comes. Reccoa, is he from the AEUG?   
  
Reccoa: Yeah, that's Camille Vidan, one of our best pilots...he's the one I've been telling you about! (takes Kai's hand) Well, come on, let's go! We don't want to get caught in the middle of an N2 mine explosion--   
  
Camille: (sounds a bit shocked) W...what do you mean "caught in the middle of an N2 mine explosion"? You mean...you mean there's a bomb here?   
  
Reccoa: (climbs up the Gundam's outreached hand) Yeah, and from what we've seen earlier back there... (points to a random direction) ...it looks like it's gonna blow about an hour from now...   
  
Kai: (follows Reccoa into the Gundam's cockpit) So let's get the hell out of here, quick!   
  
---   
  
There would be not avoided some speculation from among the AEUG pilots and those in the Agama and the Radish as to why this mission has been all too easy as they rescued the said inhabitants of Jabrow into the AEUG's care. Brex had personally met up with some of the civilians and had a little talk with them--to discover the same thing that Camille had found out from Reccoa and Kai from one of the people he talked to.   
  
Brex: (shocked) An N2 mine?! My God, we've been tricked! Let's get out of here, quick! Henken, radio the bridge to--   
  
Henken: Sir, we still have to wait for *all* of the civilians and Camille as well to have boarded the Agama and the Radish!   
  
Brex: Is that so? (rubs his chin in thought) We don't have much time, and our ships can only hold so much weight...   
  
Henken: /...is that so? Yes, thank you./ Commander, we have just detected a Garuda-class transport plane headed this way. Hayato Kobayashi of the Kalaba seems to be heading this..."Audomura"...and he's offering a transfer of the civilians to his ship, sir!   
  
Brex: (sighs) Thank heavens! Tell Lieutenant Kobayashi to get here as soon as possible!   
  
Henken: right away, sir! (runs away to the Agama's bridge)   
  
Brex: So the Titans have anticipated us coming here to Jabrow, eh Captain? That's very unacceptable, but I should have thought of it beforehand. There's no crying over spilt milk...and we must make it better next time...   
  
Bright: Yes sir.   
  
Brex: But then, we have no more time to blame ourselves. The Titans have gotten better than we had first expected, and all we can do now is wait for...another one of your former pilots in the White Base.   
  
Bright: (rubs his chin) Yes...but it's just so strange why and how Hayato had known we were going to be in this kind of situation...   
  
Brex: Well, maybe it's just that the Kalaba has as many informers here on Earth as we have in space.   
  
A few minutes later, as soon as Camille's Gundam Mk-II had boarded the Agama, Brex ordered that the Agama and the Radish should rendezvous with the said Garuda-class Kalaba transport plane "Audomura" and escape from Jabrow immediately before the said N2 mines explode. Brex was almost happy with the fact that Reccoa was back with them in the AEUG. He was one of the first people to greet her with a handshake inside the bridge.   
  
Brex: It is very good to see you again, Officer Reccoa Londo. I thought we weren't going to see you again...   
  
Reccoa: (handshakes back) Eh heh heh...it's nothing, Commander. (grins impishly) But I couldn't have done it and survived without Mr. Kai Shiden here...   
  
At the mention of his name, the lanky, gray-haired Puerto Rican media reporter, who was talking to Captain Bright Noah at the moment, just smugly waved at the plump AEUG supreme commander and grinned at Reccoa. Kai Shiden was just too glad to be out of Jabrow.   
  
Kai: Hey, it was nothing, okay Officer Reccoa? (turns towards Bright) Well, it's been seven years since we've seen each other, eh Captain?   
  
Bright: (nods) Yeah...yes it has. We've had such a time when we were still in the White Base. You know what, I've seen Amuro just half a day ago in Japan. It seems he's working with Hayato in the Kalaba assisting some weird organization in Japan called "Nerv" or something like that...   
  
Kai: "Nerv", eh? Heh, I guess the Angels have finally come...oh, and in case you're wondering why I know about these Angels, well, as you've probably known by now, Captain Bright, that the media nowadays seems to have its own..."network of spies", to put it bluntly. You know, being a media reporter's quite an interesting job...you get to know a LOT of secrets that the Federation's hiding. And these secrets, mind you, captain, aren't actually the kind that you'd be pleased to know about.   
  
Bright: Hmm...is that so? Well anyway, are you going to stay here in the Agama for a while or not? We need all the help we can get, and since you've had some experience with my leadership in the One-Year War, well...   
  
Kai: (shakes his head) Naah, I'd rather not...at least not directly. And it's not because I'm being... like our old friend Sayla would put it, "cowardly" again or something to that idea, no, no. It's just that, well, you know, I already have quite an "interesting" job right now.   
  
Bright: (raises his eyebrow at him and stares) Right...   
  
Kai: Oh, by the way...Captain, have you heard of that..."suspicious activity" going on around the old Zeon asteroid base "Axis"?   
  
The word "Axis" definitely got Quattro's attention as he was talking it out with Reccoa and Brex. What would Axis be doing in the Gryps War *now*? He turned around slightly to hear what the former pilot of the Federation mobile suit Guncannon was talking about, who was gawking back at the Red Comet.   
  
Bright: Axis? Hmm...I've heard of some Zeon survivors taking their refuge in Axis during '83 and they started that Operation Stardust thing with Delaz, Gato, and Garahau spearheading the whole thing, but from that time, I've never heard of Axis anymore. Hmm...you seem to know something that we don't. Spill it out, Kai.   
  
Kai: Heh, I knew that was coming. Well, Axis seems to be taking up its arms again and is preparing for something really big, as if they're forming another league of Zeon soldiers much like what the Delaz Fleet had left off...much like a new Zeon movement thing going on, you know.   
  
Brex: (walks toward Kai and Bright) I couldn't help overhearing your little conversation, Mr. Kai Shiden. Another Zeon movement, you say? But what would they have to do with the Gryps War anyway? If my guesses serve me right, they couldn't possibly be against the Titans the way we are.   
  
Quattro: It looks as if their leader has chosen to strike at the right moment, right, Commander? Maybe they had known that our whole situation with the Titans is slowly getting into chaos so they're preparing to do something really nasty.   
  
Kai: Oh? And how would *you* know?   
  
Quattro: I just *know*.   
  
Kai: (whispers) I'll accept that alibi from you, Red Comet...for the time being, that is.   
  
Bright: Well anyway, as always, we should be prepared for any developments from the respective sides of both the Titans and Axis Zeons, Commander. As much as I would hate to do so, if we could get the Axis Zeons as our allies...   
  
Brex: I wouldn't bet on that, Captain. Although almost 40% of the AEUG are composed of Zeon survivors, I don't think an alliance with these people would make any things better for us. For all I know, these people might even be the cause of our downfall if ever that dreadful day happens.   
  
Quattro: I agree, Commander. I would much rather the AEUG should do things only within ourselves than seek help from...unreliable personalities such as these upstart Axis Zeons. Like what Captain Bright Noah said, we should always stay on guard if ever things go ugly from here on.   
  
Bright: So where are we supposed to head next, Commander?   
  
Brex: I've been thinking of taking a visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to transfer and launch the civilians in the Audomura into a space colony somewhere in Side 6, Captain, since Side 6 for the most part has stayed neutral all throughout these seven years.   
  
Bright: That's right, and we should lend assistance to the Audomura since it could be a potential target for the Titans as the Audomura, being a Kalaba-sponsored transport carrier, is also considered somewhat of an AEUG ship by the Kalaba's connections with us. All right, Officer Torres, set the Agama's next course for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on the double!   
  
Torres: (makes some adjustments on the navigating wheel) Sir, yes sir!   
  
---   
  
A flock of birds fly by and with the Agama, the Radish, and the Audomura. Camille, Fa, and Emma gazed out one of the few windows of the Agama as Jabrow went up in a big red explosion as a result of the N2 mines that have been planted inside the old Federation military base, the impact of the explosion shaking the Agama for a bit. As Fa snuggled close to him, Camille began to realize more and more that these Titans aren't something to be toyed with. Emma already knew this for a fact and thought this might not even be the beginning of the Titans' supposed extensive dastardly secret plans. What these plans might hold, she just didn't know.   
  
Quattro looked at the same explosion through the Agama's bridge's viewing window, lost in thought about this new potential threat. So the few surviving Zeons in Axis have finally come into play again, he thought as memories of old started coming back when he was still donning his Char Aznable persona. But who could it be this time, he asked himself. He had some strong suspicions that it might be something...or someone...in his past who would want to gain the Zeonic supremacy once again. It was still *too* early for all of this.   
  
  
To be continued   
---   
  
My apologies go out to Andrew Huang and Co. (The Sound and the Furry Productions) for shamelessly using some references to his "Neon Genesis Evanjellydonut" works without permission. (Author kneels and bows his face to the ground.)   
  
Well, with that finished, I'd like to comment that it's a sunny noon of July 11, 2001 as I finish writing this Act and, honest to God, I have not been feeling very happy with how things are going between me and the world. Not that anyone would care anyway, so I'll just shut up.   
  
I'd also like to comment that I now have (own) a video CD of "The End of Evangelion" that I have bought with my hard-earned money last Wednesday. Having been watching the movie for about an infinite number of times already, I start to ask myself for the first time, "Duhhh...what did it all mean?"   
  
Anyway, thanks go to all those concerned in the production of this fic, especially my cute and pretty girlfriend Rachel who's served as my inspiration through it all. You know who you are. I'd also take the time to thank you, the reader, for taking the time to read this load of crap I call "my masterpiece".   
  
Act 5 coming soon. Again, C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE. Till then, "Believe in the sign of ZETA...beyond the hard times from now." 


	5. Shuttle Launch Try, Try Again

Shinji's two friends were just too shocked to know the "truth" about the spirited redheaded girl that the two had met for the first time; the truth that she was also an Evangelion pilot, just like him and the all-too reserved Rei Ayanami. Toji just chuckled as patted Shinji's back, commenting that "at least he and Kensuke won't ever see her again", since Asuka Langley-Sohryu was his colleague at work anyway. Kensuke then wonders "if only weirdoes get chosen to be Eva pilots".  
  
And just as Toji was feeling reassured of the fact that "he will never see that bitch Asuka again", then comes along the bitch in question and greets them a pleasant "Guten Morgen" as she walked through the entrance of their classroom's door, much to Toji's and Shinji's shock. She then later stuck out a tongue at them and branded the trio "a bunch of losers" as their class was about to start in six to seven minutes.  
  
Of course, there was the traditional self-introduction ceremony that every new student must go through. As the pretty young redheaded German-Japanese 14-year-old girl walked through the classroom's aisle, there could be heard from among Shinji's male classmates some silent "ooh's" and "aah's" and other expressions of astonishment for the new student. Asuka was just too much of a pretty sight for the boys and that earned her the instant title of the "class sweetheart" as she wrote her name in English and in perfect cursive writing and said, facing the students with a cheerful face...  
  
Asuka: My name's Asuka Langley-Sohryu. It's very nice to meet all of you! I hope we can all be good friends! (giggles)  
  
Shinji, however, knew from the start that this pretty face before him and his classmates wasn't all that was cut out to be. He thought as he cringed, this was going to be one of the worst parts of his so-called life...  
  
  
********************  
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossoverwritten by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)  
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.  
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.  
All rights reserved.  
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments. I'm serious, folks.  
********************  
  
[Act 5]  
  
Episode 9, "Shuttle Launch"  
-------------------  
  
As the Agama and the Radish, two of the AEUG's few but strong battlecruisers acting as guards for the packed-with-civilians Kalaba transport cruiser, the Audomura, floated high above the skies of the fabled Bermuda Triangle off the coast of once-Communist nation Cuba and headed for the AEUG's itinerary which was the Kennedy Space Port in Florida, the Agama's default captain, which some who had come to admire his work in the One Year War would call him the "eternal" captain of the Pegasus White Base, Bright Noah, peered inquistively at his superior officer as the revered captain's thoughts came to formulate in the form of speech.  
  
Bright: But aren't you worried about any of those Federation missile defense parameters scattered throughout Florida, Colonel?  
  
Brex: That...might be a problem, Captain. What do you think that we should let out an escort squad before we even get ashore?  
  
Bright: (rubs his chin) Hmm, that would be risky, but I think it should do well against a possible missile defense barrage that we might encounter. Lieutenant Quattro, you and the others might just shoot them up before we do, and besides, the idea of a forward patrol might even also do well against an ambush using mobile suits, anyway.  
  
Brex: By the way...Lieutenant Quattro, have you heard the news on TV lately?  
  
Quattro: The Titans have apparently put the blame on us with what happened at Jabrow, sir, through this immediate worldwide press statement some hours after we left. Heh, it's to be expected of them, since let's say we're basically the "bad guys" in this whole crazy mess.  
  
Bright: (sighs) News travels faster than you'd think, doesn't it? Pity it's the wrong kind of news that we're hearing...  
  
Brex: Indeed. I wouldn't be surprised if we'll soon be branded as terrorists. (shrugs)  
  
Quattro: (snickers) Right.  
  
Brex: Have I told anyone about my plans on going back to space on a certain "undercover" Federation luxury carrier?  
  
Bright: (gulps) Uhh...that wouldn't happen to be the Temptation again, wouldn't it?  
  
Brex: (looks sourly at Bright) Of *course* not, Captain.  
  
Quattro: I don't think you've told anyone yet, sir. What about it?  
  
Brex: Hm. Well, it just so coincidentally happens that the carrier is also in Florida, where we're going. It might even be the space shuttle that the civilians we have in the Audomura are going to ride in. But in any case, since these civilians are headed for Side 6, the same thing might also be my ride to Side 6 as well.  
  
Bright: I understand, sir. Lieutenant Quattro and the others will be standing by as escort first and foremost for the Audomura, then the Agama and the Radish as we all do well know that we can hold our own if ever an ambush greets us on the way there. The conditions will be considered as having declared Alert Level 1.  
  
Quattro: Yes. I will be informing Camille and the others who will be available upon sight of Florida's shore and upon our destination, the space center. One question, though, Commander. Who will be in command while you will be away on Side 6?  
  
Brex: You will, of course, sir. But Captain Bright Noah will be in charge of sorties against any enemy threat that may arise, as I do trust him on this line of work.  
  
Bright: Thank you, Commander.  
  
Quattro: I uinderstand, Commander. May you have a safe journey to Side 6; I bid you in advance, sir.  
  
Brex: Right. (stands up from his seat) As of this moment, you two are dismissed. Just be prepared for combat at any time, all right?  
  
The fairly stout AEUG supreme commander returned Quattro's and Bright's respective hand salutes as they, almost in unison, stood up in attention and left Brex Forra's office. Up until this day, he thought as the two men left the room, he just could not believe that of all people, Bright Noah, Amuro Ray, and Char Aznable--or as he would like to be called for the time being, the alias "Quattro Bajina"--would be working together for one purpose. He had second thoughts, though, on Amuro's and Quattro's respective willingness to be co-team players as he *had* known from some sources that these two had a terrible rivalry going on between them, seven years ago...  
  
Brex Forra had no full knowledge of the current situation involving this newfangled "Axis Zeon faction" except that he had known that these Zeons were, indeed, taking up arms once again for a reason he wished he had known. He was worried at the thought of these Zeons based on the old asteroid military base Axis being a potential enemy as they already have their hands full on making anti-Titans sorties and partly giving their support as to battling Nerv's "Angel" problem. But then if Axis would be their ally...he wasn't quite sure what effect that would have on what little good reputation that the AEUG has.  
  
---  
  
Camille made some little double-checking and upgrading as to the status of "his" mobile suit, the once-black-now-white Gundam Mark-II which was formerly named merely "Unit-03" in Titan/Federation lingo. He just didn't know it yet (but he might have, since he *was* a Newtype) but the Agama's captain in khaki watched him from afar as Bright walked away from Quattro, who was heading towards the blue-haired lad from Side 7. Bright had thought within himself, this boy really does remind me of Amuro in the old days, seven years ago. Anyway, the former White Base captain thought, just don't let him get smart with me or he'll definitely be sorry he even joined the AEUG, or the army for that matter...  
  
The blonde man clad in mostly red and black and sunglasses walked up to the white Gundam Mk-II and called out for his young blue-haired protege to "come down for a moment". Camille leaned out of the Gundam's cockpit entrance and replied to him in a not-so-pleased tone.  
  
Camille: I'm kinda busy here, Quattro. What do you want?  
  
Quattro: (blinks) That will be *Lieutenant Commander* Quattro to you, Camille. Anyway, be prepared for launch any time soon as we will; be acting as cover for the Audomura and the Agama once we land on Florida. Commander Brex asked me to tell you these orders A.S.A.P.  
  
Camille: (shrugs) Okay, okay, fine than. I hear you, *Lieutenant Commander* Quattro. Now could you please leave me for a while? I'm busy upgrading this baby here...  
  
Quattro: (pauses and rubs his chin) You sure do have a serious attitude problem, Camille. Watch your mouth or you'll get what's coming to you.  
  
Camille: Whatever. Geez... (returns to his work)  
  
Quattro: (thinks) Stubborn little brat...  
  
The man once known, and is still known by few who know him very well, as the "Red Comet" Char Aznable turned back to head for the Agama's bridge. On the way there, he had met three familiar women that were definitely with the Agama's crew as of present times; the fifteen-year-old one had semi-long black hair, the twenty-four-year-old one had fairly short brown hair, and the last one had short red hair and was presumed to be at least the same age as Amuro.  
  
Fa: ...really? Wow, that is so COOL! Oh, thank you, miss Emma! (shakes Emma's hands in glee and giggles)  
  
Emma: Oh, but I wasn't the one responsible for your acceptance as to your new occupation in teh Agama as one of the bridge operators. It was also partly because you're quite qualified to be one of our bridge staff, right, Officer Reccoa?  
  
Reccoa: Oh, yes. And you also have your little sweetie Camille to thank for, too, since he's the one who talked to the Commander about it...oh look, there's Lieutenant Commander Quattro. (waves at him and smiles, blushing lightly) Good afternoon, Lieutenant!  
  
Quattro: Good afternoon, ladies. You three seem to be having quite a lively conversation, am I right?  
  
Reccoa: Ummm...it seems that we have, sir!  
  
Fa: (shakes his hand) Yeah, we were just talking about my formal approval of my job here in the Agama as one of your bridge operators *and* one of your reserve pilots as well, and I'm so happy about it!  
  
Quattro: That's very good, Fa. (nods) Have you three been informed of a possible defense operation protecting first and foremost the Audomura and then the Agama and the Radish?  
  
Emma: Uhh, yes sir, I believe Commander Brex himself had already told us of thos operation earlier when we met him just upstairs, down the hallway.  
  
Quattro: Ahh, so maybe I should be on my way, than. If you will excuse me, ladies... (starts to leave)  
  
Reccoa: (catching up behind him) Ummm...wait up, I'll be coming with you, sir! I'll see you girls later, okay?  
  
Fa and Emma watched on and exchanged curious looks as their fellow AEUG comrades walked away to wherever they might be going; in this case, they both guessed it might be towards where the Hyakushiki was being stored. The MSN-100 Type 100, or better known as the "Hyakushiki" among AEUG members (and to a very few of the Titans) was the first of its kind in the history of mobile suit models, even though some would point out that its overall performance was no different than that of an uber-modified Zaku-II custom.  
  
Fa: I'm just really curious, miss Emma...why did Lieutenant Quattro have the Hyakushiki painted *gold* anyway? Don't you think that's a bit weird or something...?  
  
Emma: I'm wondering about that myself on why he'd done that, Fa. All I know is that I remember that he told me once that the Hyakushiki was painted gold so as to send a message to the Titans that "the AEUG could build mobile suits right from under their noses", to quote him. Kind of a weird reason if you ask me, but then that's Lieutenant Quattro Bajina for you... (shrugs)  
  
Fa: Hmm...do you think miss Reccoa likes Lieutenant Quattro? I mean, look at her. Did you just see how her eyes just sort of "lightened up" at the sight of him...?  
  
Emma: Hmm. Come to think of it, you might be right...after all, the Lieutenant Commander *is* one cute guy if I've ever seen one. You know, he's just got that dark, brooding air around him...well, I think you'd know because I've noticed that in you as well whenever Camille's around. (giggles and nudges Fa's arm lightly) Am I right?  
  
Fa: (blushes) Umm...well...uhh...tee-hee, y-yeah...  
  
---  
  
Back in Japan, Nerv HQ...  
  
Professor Ritsuko Akagi might just have been having a bad morning, but there was just the strangest thing that had happened. It wasn't a very common thing for her, but she'd just been stricken with an oddball idea that might just work. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she put aside the trash on her desk and started going to work, first studying the overall structure of the AEUG support cruiser Mont Blanc and making a few adjustments on her copies of the ship's blueprints. Ritsuko silently sipped on her coffee as the morning went on quietly outside Nerv HQ.  
  
---  
  
Back in the Mont Blanc, Amuro Ray rubbed his chin and looked at the bleach-haired Nerv Engineering Department Head at the visual comm link with just a bit of skepticism.  
  
Amuro: (blinks) /A "beam ram"?/  
  
Ritsuko: /Yes, you've heard it right. We could make some enough adjustments on the Mont Blanc's main beam cannons, particularly on their respective placements on the ship, so that we could generate enough energy for this beam ram which will be, in layman's terms, sort of a makeshift "mega beam saber" that's supposed to be rammed against an opponent. Of course, it would also require that this amount of energy would also be enough to penetrate through an A.T. field and--/  
  
Amuro: /--but don't you think it would also require a total redesign of the whole ship itself? I mean, that would take a lot of time and money to do such a task, and what's more, it's quite risky making a whole ship into one large battering ram...but then, I definitely think it's a great idea, Professor. The idea of equipping a beam ram on a battlecruiser is way ahead of its time, though; I must commend you on that, Professor Akagi./  
  
To Amuro's surprise, Misato pushed Ritsuko aside from his limited line of vision in the comm link and almost made a fool of herself, giggling as soon as she saw Amuro's face on the screen looking almost too excited to see Amuro again.  
  
Misato: /So it's okay if we'll go on with the project, Captain? Tee-hee.../  
  
Amuro: /Uh...yeah...I-I guess so, if Captain Bright or Commander Brex gave me authority to approve of such projects involving the AEUG ships, why not.../ (thinks) What the...?  
  
The curly redheaded Gundam pilot could almost hear Ritsuko tell Misato, "Would you mind your manners, Captain Katsuragi?!" and saw Misato look towards her, clearly seeing the pout on Misato's face and giving the way for Ritsuko to talk to Amuro once again. Grinning slightly, Amuro shook his head and wiped some of the sweat off his brow.  
  
Ritsuko: /Umm, so...here's the deal. We couldn't really guarantee that this whole idea would be safe enough to be used on specific missions, but I'm sure we could figure something out so as to keep everyone on the Mont Blanc as safe as they could be while making this project a success.../  
  
Amuro: (sighs) /I'll see what I can do. Just give me the blueprints and I can work on it the whole day provided that there would be no troubles for today, whether it be the Titans or any of those Angels again./  
  
Ritsuko: /Thank you, Captain--hey what the--!/  
  
Misato: (pushes Ritsuko aside once again) /Thanks Captain! Eh heh heh heh heh!/  
  
The comm link screen went black all of a sudden with a tiny "blip!" Ritsuko stared at Misato for a moment and shook her head muttering, "Tsk tsk..."  
  
Ritsuko: What the heck is wrong with you, Captain Katsuragi?  
  
Misato: (stares back at her, giggling) Tee-hee...oh, nothing that you could possibly know, Miss Ice Queen.  
  
Ritsuko: And what the heck is *that* supposed to mean? Jesus, woman, you already got Kaji! (snickers and shakes her head) You naughty, naughty girl, you.   
  
Misato: Kaji?! Ughh...never again will I involve myself with that big idiot, Ryouji Kaji! Don't ever, EVER mention that jerk's name to me again, all right Ritsuko? (rubs her head as if in pain)  
  
Ritsuko: Mmmmhmmmm.... (raises an eyebrow and grins)  
  
---  
  
At the same time, back in the Agama which was now somewhere in the middle of the fabled Bermuda Triangle and was currently on its way to Florida, Camille had the little adorable basketball-sized light-green ball-like part-laptop computer part child's toy "Haro" on his lap, looking at his old and new email messages through its mini-monitor. His mouth let up a little smirk as he read through his latest email entry which apparently came from Anaheim Electronics, commending him on a job well done as to the blueprints of his new mobile suit design, the "Zeta" Gundam. Camille then suddenly wondered why Captain Amuro Ray would leave such an ingenious invention of his doing all alone...oh well, Camille thought, "finders keepers, I guess..."  
  
Camille: "...we might be able to make such an exceptional mobile suit very, very soon and have it sent to the AEUG with utmost secrecy from both the Federation and the Titans so as not to fall into their hands, so to speak. We will look forward to having more meaningful transactions with you, Mr. Camille Vidan, along with your colleagues and comrades in the AEUG. Chief Engineer for Mobile Suit Designs, Anaheim Electronics Incorporated, Miss Nina Purpleton-Uraki." Wow, this is just so cool! Man, wait till I tell Fa and the others about this...  
  
Haro: /That's good, Camille! That's good, Camille!/  
  
Camille: Yeah, I hear you, Haro. (stretches out and yawns) Man, I haven't had any rest since we've gotten to Jabrow a night or two ago...I ought to take a break one of these days, don't you think so?  
  
Haro: .....  
  
The little green globe of artificial intelligence and silicon chips' "eyes" started to blink and "faced" towards Camille's line of sight. A single sweatdrop formed on the blue-haired boy's brow, and seconds later he raised quite an inquisitive eyebrow.  
  
Camille: Well, what the hell are you looking at me like *that* for, Haro?  
  
Haro: /The captain's calling you, Camille./  
  
Just then, Haro opened its big "mouth" and a little screen inside it blinked the words, "Bright captain - calling". One would have to wonder whether Amuro Ray's old invention was also either a cellular phone or an instant electronic messenger.  
  
Camille: (blinks and pushes some of Haro's buttons) Well, why didn't you say so, then? Hello, Captain? What do you want?  
  
Bright: /Camille, haven't you been hearing the Alert Level 1 announcement earlier on the public address system? Well, that doesn't matter now, get your ass on the Mk-II right now and prepare for launch. We're assuming the waters around these parts are already shallow so I'm ordering a forward squadron of whatever GM-II's we have left, with you, Quattro, Emma, and Roberto acting as backup for our three ships. Do you understand, Camille?/  
  
Camille: Uhh...yeah, I understand... (thinks) Geez, he sounds dead serious this time...  
  
Bright: /Good. Get to it a.s.a.p./  
  
Haro's comm link to the Agama's bridge was then cut off as Camille sighed, went down, and rushed towards the locker room to change into his pilot's flight suit. Harro tagged along the 15-year-old spacenoid bouncing like a cute, live, little basketball and repeatedly called out in a typical robotic voice, "Wait up, Camille!"  
  
---  
  
Key West's coastline was botched by numerous well-placed Magella tanks, ten Marasai's, and five Gaplants in their mobile suit modes. Apparently, the Titan base somewhere in Mississippi had been informed that the AEUG was headed for Florida but they didn't know what the AEUG wants to do there. True to whatever reputation they might have, the unnamed commanding officer in the Mississippi Titan base took whatever available and ready supervising officer was around and take out the AEUG in one sweep--in this case, the commanding officer took a certain Federal Forces Lieutenant Colonel, mobile suit ace Braun Blutarch, to head this anti-AEUG operation.  
  
Braun wasn't the handsomest male officer in the service: true, he was a tall and gruff old fellow, but he pretty much looked stupid to anyone who doesn't know him personally. It was not so, however, what with his achievements as a Federal Forces officer, who had gained much credit due to his contribution in the One-Year War in 0079 and the battle against the ill-fated Zeon regiment in 0083, the infamous Delaz Fleet. It was just so ironic that his name didn't rank much in popularity and significance as the likes of those rumored traitors Amuro Ray and Hayato Kobayashi.  
  
A few months ago, before the whole situation with the AEUG in Gryps, Braun Blutarch had volunteered to be the test pilot for a certain prototype variable mobile suit, the yellow NRX-044 Asshimar, and since then, the Asshimar had "become" Braun's personal preference over a "simple" Gundam Mk-II since its form as a flying saucer-like mobile armor was quite agile while not being actually weak in its defenses.  
  
It was uncertain if the Asshimar will ever get mass-produced like the Marasai or the Gaplant did. Not that Braun cared anyway. He only cared about doing his duty as a Federation officer bent on quelling anti-Federation movements, whether it be the Zeon or the AEUG.  
  
True to its form, Braun's Asshimar, in its flying saucer-like mobile armor mode, hovered atop his underlings and made last-minute checkups on his few but hopefully strong troops.  
  
Braun: /Well, that's the drill, people. Snipe at 'em if you can an' try not to get hit, all right?/  
  
Titans officer A: that's easy for you to say, sir...we've only Magella tanks to fire at the AEUG while they've got--/  
  
Braun: /Well, we've just got to make do with what's been assigned to us, right soldier? By the way...Rosamia, are you sure you're up to fighting against the AEUG in your condition? I don't care what your officers tell me, I'm just worried about.../  
  
The purple-haired young woman relaxed her senses for a moment then calmly replied to her new superior officer. She had no other thing in her mind but to destroy the AEUG as she was "programmed"--brainwashed--to do, as an "artificial" Newtype.  
  
Rosamia: /I am very confident I can make it this time, sir./  
  
Braun: /You had better be. All of you, listen to me: I know all of you're thinking that you shouldn't have to take orders from me, a "mere" Federal Forces guy and not one of you Titans kiddies here. May I remind you that Federal Forces officers have authority above the Titans in any situation especially this one that we have involving the AEUG. Looks like you boys have to brush up on our military rules and regulations, eh?/  
  
Though Braun couldn't hear it, he could tell that his Titan subordinates could be murmuring some sarcastic comments like "Yeah, right...", "Whatever...", and the like. Well, that's just fine, he thought, if these people are going to act like little children, he will deal with them as such.  
  
Braun: /Just remember that while the AEUG may or may not be as feisty as the Zeons, we have to defeat them by any means necessary. Do you read me, *ladies*?/  
  
There was a crisp "Sir, yes sir!" on Braun's communications link to his subordinates, the sound of a very determined Titan regiment intent on toppling the AEUG once and for all, upon hearing the Federal Forces officer's last rallying statement.  
  
The day was already slowly falling into night as Braun received word from certain scouts across Key West that two battlecruisers: one, an Irish class, and another one that looked like a variation of the old White Base, and both were escorting a Garuda-class transport ship. Braun immediately thought it was the Radish and the Agama respectively. The scout had also reported that the Agama and the Radish were slowly passing over the waters just off Key West's coastline and were headed towards his troops' direction. Braun Blutarch let a little smirk form on his lips and rallied his men off to battle. Braun called for Rosamia and four other Gaplant-ridden soldiers to "personally greet" the AEUG on their arrival to Florida. Launching off to the horizon, the Asshimar and the five Gaplants flew forward, deeming themselves an impromptu "welcoming party" for the AEUG.  
  
---  
  
Fa: (gasps) Captain Bright, we have a high concentration fo Minovsky particles just about two kilometers from our current position!  
  
The captain of English origin didn't look too surprised as Fa looked down from her seat somewhere in the Agama's bridge. From the distance between him and Camille's girlfriend, he could see around six blinking figures in the Minovsky particle radar. Bright Noah stood up, ready to give his long-awaited orders for counterattack.  
  
Bright: Yes, and I can see we've got around five or six bogeys ready to take us down. All right--you, tell our pilots to launch immediately. I'm pretty sure our mobile suits can still fight well in these depths of water, otherwise, tell our troops to take strategic positions riding on the Agama.  
  
Bridge operator A: Sir, yes sir! /All available mobile s--/  
  
Bright: Fa, relay the same to the Radish, right now!  
  
Fa: Yes sir! /This is the Agama. I repeat, this is--/  
  
Bright: Torres, keep the Agama's pace constant. I'll be betting this is just icing on the cake; I just couldn't believe the Titans would send such a small fleet of what I assume to be either flying MS'es or flying MA's. In any case, we'll be taking them down.  
  
Torres: Aye, sir. (turns the navigating wheel a wee bit)  
  
Brex: (sighs and relaxes on his chair) Captain, you seem to have your own kind of...expertise when it comes to these kinds of battle sorties...ah well, I shouldn't really be surprised anyway, sir.  
  
Bright: (sits down and sighs) It comes from experience, Commander. And it comes from the realization that we're waging quite a different war right now than what we've experienced before, seven years ago.  
  
Brex: (nods) Indeed.  
  
---  
  
It was just around ten minutes ago that the bell signaling the dismissal of classes for the day had rang. Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke walked out of the classroom, babbling about random stuff that most male high school students their age would babble about. Just as Shinji was going to open his mouth to say something about what Toji had told him and Kensuke just now, he felt a sharp, sudden pain on his buttocks. He realized his butt had just been kicked by his old friend Asuka from that all-too-familiar phrase that would only come from none other than the redheaded newbie herself...  
  
Asuka: An'ta baka?!  
  
Toji: (shakes his head) Tsk tsk...geez, newbie...ya dint havta hit 'im *dat* hard...  
  
Asuka: (leers at Toji) What do *you* care, monkey-boy? (takes Shinji away by his ear) Come with me, peon. Escort me back to my quarters, NOW!  
  
Shinji: Owowowowowow, take it easy, freak!  
  
Kensuke: Ooooooh, lovers' quarrel! Hey Toji, whyn't we leave these two lovebirds alone and go on home, right? (grins) Heh heh heh heh...  
  
Toji: (grins back) Yeaaaahhhh...that'd be a good idea! Yo Shinji, you both ummm..."take it easy" on da *foreplay*, all right? Heh heh heh heh...  
  
Just as Toji and Kensuke were about to wave goodbye to the couple, Asuka and Shinji stomped on the two boys' heads, did a hundred-hit combination on them, and punted them full-force into low-earth orbit.  
  
Shinji and Asuka: WE'RE NOT LOVERS!!  
  
It took a few seconds for them to realize that the whole school was looking at them with...quite *inquisitive* gazes. This was definitely NOT good for them, so Asuka took it upon herself to drag Shinji out of the school by his collar, both of them blushing beet-red.  
  
Seeing that they were totally out of sight of any recognizable person from Shinji's and Asuka's high school, Asuka stopped running to catch her breath. Shinji struggled to stand up, brushing off each and every patch of dirt on his shirt and pants and shaking his head like a little puppy dog would, much to Asuka's very faint giggling.  
  
Shinji: What's with dragging me off like that anyway? That really hurt, you know!  
  
Asuka: Shut up! Well, we just have to talk about something first before we go home, ne?  
  
Shinji: (sounding bored) Okay, okay. What is it you want us to talk about?  
  
The half-German, half-Japanese redhead paused for a while and briskly paced down the street as she started to share a piece of her mind to her old friend.  
  
Asuka: (turns around slightly) Did you ever notice how our teacher back there ranted on and on about the Second Impact that happened around seven years ago, how this...abandoned colony originally targeted at Jabrow was just dropped off and "fortunately" redirected into Antarctica by Federation battlecruisers and yadda yadda?  
  
Shinji: Yeah, 'teach kinda does that almost everyday, of course it's our History subject, what do you expect anyway? That information's all over our textbooks anyway. I thought you knew that already, Asuka.  
  
Asuka: (leers at him slightly) Well, there's just *something* quite wrong with our teacher's story *and* what they say in the textbooks. (turns around and points her index finger at Shinji and grins) I just know something everyone doesn't, Shinji. Want me to tell it to you?  
  
Shinji: Heh, I'd love to tell you to "spare me the arrogance", Asuka, but...yeah, spill it. (raises an eyebrow) What *do* you know that everyone else doesn't?  
  
Asuka: (sighs) Man, I just couldn't believe some people would buy all that misinformation from the Federation...and *you* of all people believed it too! And you call yourself the Third Child?  
  
Shinji: ...okay. SPARE ME THE ARROGANCE, Asuka. Tell me what you know, already!  
  
Asuka: Well, anyway...it wasn't just the colony that the Zeons have dropped on Earth that caused the Second Impact. Seven years ago in Antarctica, coinciding with the infamous colony drop, there was found a thirty minutes ago a humanoid object, termed the "first Angel". There was soon an explosion that ensued. It was unknown what was its origin, but THAT, Shinji, was the *real* Second Impact. The colony drop just aggravated the damages it caused and the latter incident was just used by some shady people in the Federation to cover up some...top secret information that even *I* don't know about.   
  
Shinji: ...what are you trying to tell me, Asuka?  
  
Asuka: Our duty as pilots, Shinji, is to prevent a Third Impact from ever happening. (smirks and chuckles) Heh, well of course, it's OBVIOUS now that even your Daddy kept you ignorant of the most important facts! Unbelievable, Shinji! Just UNBELIEVABLE! Wahahahahahaha!  
  
Shinji: ...I hate it when you're asserting your "I'm-better-than-everyone" attitude, Asuka. Ughhh...I should have never gone with you...  
  
Asuka: (starts to pummel Shinji) What did you say--  
  
There was a sudden chill in the air as someone *very* familiar to the two Children walked by them and completely ignored their childish antics. Shinji could almost immediately recognize that short ice-blue hair and those ruby-red eyes.  
  
Shinji: ...Ayanami?  
  
Rei: If you will excuse me...please don't block the sidewalk so I may pass by.  
  
Shinji: Uh...sure...you going home now, Ayanami?  
  
Rei: ..... (totally ignores them)  
  
Asuka: Hey, wait a minute, First! (runs after Rei)  
  
Rei: (turns around slightly) ...now what?  
  
Asuka: Heh...you know...Rei Ayanami's your name, am I right? Well, First, I'd just like to tell you that I've been hearing some quite...*interesting* rumors about you and Shinji's dad--I mean, Commander Ikari. (raises an eyebrow) I hear you're...*involved* with him, though from what I also hear, you've shown no one else any hint of emotion. What do you have to say about that, First?  
  
Rei: (turns around and walks away) ...what do *you* care?  
  
A few seconds after Rei starts to walk away, Asuka seethed and chased after her, grabbing her arm and looking at Rei with an angry expression. Shinji immediately knew this was because his redheaded friend's pride was hurt, and he also knew he had to do something.  
  
Asuka: Look at me when I'm talking to you, Miss-Favorite-Girl-of-the-Commander! How dare you make a fool of *me*! I'll teach you to mess with--  
  
Shinji: (grabs Asuka's hand) Stop it, Asuka.  
  
There was silence for yet another few seconds as Asuka looked back at Shinji's piercing gaze and felt the tightness of Shinji's grip on her forearm. The Third Child's message was clear; but the Second Child just didn't want to let her injured pride go unavenged just like that. Asuka forcibly moved her hand to be released from Shinji's hold.  
  
Asuka: Ahh...*now* I see what's going on here. Well, ex-CUUUSE me, but I just can't stand what you and the First *and* Misato are doing to me! (runs away) Idiots! Losers! I'll see you all in hell!  
  
Rei: .....  
  
Shinji: Ayanami...I...I hope you understand, she's just...she's just like that sometimes, you know? (sighs) I just hope you'll get along with her like I did for the past fourteen years of our lives...  
  
Rei: You don't have to apologize, Ikari-kun. But if I'm ordered to get along with her, then I will.  
  
---  
  
There was much hustling and bustling in Nerv HQ's makeshift hangar for the AEUG support ship, the Mont Blanc. And there was also much of Nerv's and the AEUG's engineering workforce and expertise was needed to work on the proposed project that Professor Ritsuko Akagi had formulated in just one sitting. Misato just couldn't believe her old college friend sometimes; in a way, Ritsuko would surprise her just by doing something out of the ordinary once in a blue moon, so to speak. This particular project, Misato thought, was quite an ingenious one, if not entirely dangerous.  
  
Misato: ...besides, this would also mean sacrificing a ship just to ram an enemy ship or anything like that, am I correct?  
  
Ritsuko: (shakes her head) One wouldn't really use the beam ram as a standard weapon, Captain Katsuragi. There would always still be your all-too-standard battlecruiser weapons: the main beam particle cannons and the vulcan gun turrets and some other accessories I couldn't remember, but the thing is, we might use the Mont Blanc's beam ram if we're "pushed into a corner".  
  
Amuro: (nods) She's right. Well, Professor Akagi, this sure is quite an...unusual gesture for Nerv to take such liberties as to upgrade a mere supply ship into a formidable weapon...but anyway I won't pry into anything because simply, that's not my job. (sighs) This sure is a busy place sometimes, isn't it?  
  
Misato: Right...one question, though, Professor Akagi. Could the beam ram possibly penetrate any kind of barrier, like for example, an Angel's A.T. field or any kind of beam barrier like an I-field?  
  
Ritsuko: (taps her pen on her chin) Hmm, that's a good question. If I can remember what Captain Amuro Ray here and I have discussed earlier, the energy required for the beam barrier to be activated would be enormous, although not totally using up all of the Mont Blanc's fuel, so I'm assuming if the beam barrier were finally converted into a "beam ram" of some sort, it would penetrate an A.T. field nonetheless.  
  
Amuro: Yes, but we'd still risk the ship itself being destroyed because from what I've observed, these Angels would be quite volatile when they're pushed into a corner or something like that. But not to worry, I'm sure the Mont Blanc's armor layers would be upgraded one way or another, hopefully, so it can withstand the impact of hitting any opponent when the need for using the beam ram would arise...right, Captain Katsuragi?  
  
Misato: (blinks and shakes her head slightly) Hmmm? Oh, yeah! Heh heh, that's right, Captain! Eh heh heh heh heh... (scratches her head)  
  
Ritsuko: Hmmmm... (grins and looks at her watch) Well, it looks like I have something to do at my office a little bit. Captain Katsuragi, why don't you be a *good girl* and *keep company* with Captain Amuro Ray here, hmm?  
  
Misato: (gulps and blushes) Uh...b-but--  
  
Ritsuko: Ah, I must be late for my appointment now! Have to go, kiddies!  
  
Misato almost felt like she could just *melt* at the snap of a finger; she'd just been given the opportunity to be with none other than Amuro Ray himself *and* it might be a whole day that she'd get to spend the day with him, too! Well, not that she'd care about what that damn fool Kaji would say anyway; for her, she and Kaji were history...and not that she had this strange crush on the younger officer anyway...well, maybe just a little, but...  
  
Amuro: (wipes off the sweat from his brow and grins) Umm...could we get something to eat, Captain? I uhh... (rubs his tummy) I haven't really eaten anything since last night and well...  
  
Misato: (snaps out of her reverie) Ah? Oh! Umm...y-yeah, I guess so...my treat? Eh heh heh heh...  
  
Amuro: Umm...sure! Eh heh heh heh heh...  
  
Of course, Amuro Ray wasn't having the most comfortable feeling either. From a distance, the pair could never see how much Ritsuko was snickering her arse off as they walked off into the nearest canteen in Nerv HQ.  
  
-----  
  
Braun: (thinks) Hmmm...looks like this is going to take longer than I expected...these AEUG creeps are good, I might say...  
  
For as brief moment, he had remembered those orders given to him by the commanding officer at Mississippi Base, that he should just be letting the AEUG pass by while "scaring" them out of US shores. Looks like a little "scaring" isn't going to amount to anything at this situation, Braun thought as he fired three shots at the Agama, two of them narrowly missing the AEUG flagship.  
  
The Federal Forces Lieutenant shook his head as his Asshimar narrowly dodged one GM-II's beam gun attack and fired at it, destroying yet another one of the AEUG's few but strong support mobile suits. Considering the beam rifle shot that hit the Agama's rear end from the still-unfamiliar yellow MA, Bright didn't seem to mind at all, or at least looked like it, as he and his few troops held off these few flying MA's. Bright commanded the persons in charge of the Agama's main beam particle cannons and turret machineguns to fire at will even though for the most part their shots were missing their targets.  
  
Camille, Quattro, Emma, and Roberto weren't having an easy time either as they had chosen to "ride" on the Agama just like the GM-II's "riding" on the Radish while they fired at the Asshimar and the five Gaplants--make that four, as Camille had just shot down one--just flying around the Agama and the Radish like vultures circling over some dying animal.  
  
Camille: /Damn it, we're close to the shore and *still* they got more in store for us!/  
  
Quattro: /It looks like they only have so much to give us, huh? Is this all they can dish out?/  
  
Camille: /Easy for *you* to say! This has got to be the most humiliating position I've been in since I've first joined you guys.../  
  
Quattro: /Well, you may be right, but at least the Titans still aren't firing at the Audomura like we expected them to--/  
  
Roberto: /Lieutenant Commander, I think one of them's going after the Audomura! I'm going after it!/ (his Rick Dias leaps off of the Agama using it as a "springboard" and lunges at the stray Gaplant)  
  
Quattro: /Looks like they're not observing battle etiquette, eh?/ (aims at the stray Gaplant and fires) /Hmmm, I was right when I first felt something about *that* mobile armor...the pilot just seems to be quite...like one of us now, eh Camille? Hey, wait, Camille! Where do you think you're--/  
  
Camille: /I'm coming with Roberto! I have a nasty feling about that MA's pilot as well! Seeya, Lieutenant Quattro!/ (starts to follow after Emma)  
  
Emma: /No, Camille!/ (stops the Gundam Mk-II) /*I'll* go with Roberto, you stay *right here* and protect the Agama! That's an *order*!/  
  
Emma's voice in the comm link was firm and authoritative: something Camille had never seen in Emma before who was usually a bit like his own mother, when she wasn't so involved in her work as a Titans engineer...when she was still alive. This time, Emma sounded all too much like nothing more than Camille's commanding officer. Camille just bit his lower lip as he saw Quattro's old red Rick Dias launch off to assist their comrade Roberto.  
  
Quattro: /She's right, Camille. Just *stay* right here and assist me in protecting the Agama. I'm sure Lieutenant Emma will be all right picking off that MA from attacking the Audomura./  
  
Camille: /Tch...all right, then! But...Lieutenant Commander, don't you think this would be the right time to get off of the Agama and wipe out all those jerks off-shore? I'd think the water's pretty much shallow where we are right now.../  
  
Quattro: (sighs) /All right, Camille. But I'd still think we'll have a hard time moving as these "shallow" waters you've been telling me would still go up to our mobile suits' "knees". The Hyakushiki and the Gundam Mk-II just aren't made for water combat, didn't you remember that?/  
  
Camille: (makes his Gundam jump off the Agama) /I know that! Well, I also know you're a good shot from anywhere anyway, as I trust myself to be a good shot as well, since I do know we're Newtyp--/  
  
Quattro: (follows after Camille) /Don't let your hopes up, Camille. These MA's look like they're way too fast for us to fire at. I only have eight more beam rifle charges, Camille. We have to conserve these for anything else these idiots might throw at us!/  
  
Camille: (shoots down one Gaplant as he comes down into the water) Yeah, yeah, whatever!  
  
Emma could just imagine the panic ensuing inside the Audomura right now as she tried desperately to hit the Gaplant with the remainder of her own beam gun and beam rifle charges. She told herself, my God, this one's *fast*! Well of course, she countered, it's a flying MA she's dealing with, and what's more, she's fighting within the limits of Earth's gravity.  
  
Roberto: /Having a hard time, Lieutenant?/  
  
Emma: /Isn't it obvious? Well, I haven't had much training on fighting on Earth's surface anyway, so you should expect me to have a hard time doing this!/  
  
Roberto: /I see. I won't blame you, though...oops, it looks like the Audomura's retaliating as well!/  
  
Emma: /I didn't know Garuda-class ships had beam particle cannons.../  
  
Roberto: /Neither did I!/  
  
Emma: /We should still try to defend the Audomura from that MA! I have an idea, stand still for a very slight moment while I try to jump over your Rick Dias' shoulders and try to shoot at this bastard at point blank range, got it?/  
  
Roberto never said a word as he stopped moving his Rick Dias for a short moment, anticipating the other Rick Dias' weight over his own, using him as an ersatz springboard to shoot at the Gaplant. The next thing he knew, Emma was already in the air, taking her aim at the Gaplant and firing at it with much precision and blind luck on the part of the female AEUG pilot.  
  
Rosamia almost shrieked as she gasped in surprise when the enemy mobile suit's beam gun attack connected almost too close to her cockpit. The purple-haired Titan seethed and started to retaliate, flipping some switches and levers and finally transforming her Gaplant into its mobile suit mode. She and the red mobile suit almost synchronically drew their beam sabers and clashed. The other mobile suits didn't seem to want to interrupt in their fight, though, and was busy fending off any other Gaplants that would come in the red AEUG transport ship's way.  
  
Braun wasn't having the time of his life either, but he'd prefer to let his Asshimar stay in its flying mobile armor mode than risk his hide being whipped by these AEUG bastards. But then, he thought after looking at his remaining beam rifle charges, it wouldn't be such a bad idea after all as he had noticed he was missing that stupid-looking yellow mobile suit and the white Gundam Mk-II.  
  
Quattro: /Hmm...looks like he'd love to take us head-on, eh Camille?/  
  
Camille: /This bastard's *mine*, Quattro!/  
  
Quattro: /Hold on there, boy. I still think we should take this one out together: he's got some nasty backup at shore and they don't look like they're ready to run away from us./  
  
Camille: /Well, whatever! Let's go!/  
  
Feeling a bit concerned for his young protégé's welfare, Quattro followed after Camille's Gundam. He carefully judged the distance between them and the Marasai's scattered across the shore just a short while away from him and Camille and shot--and hit quite perfectly--at two or three of them as soon as he got within range. Camille, however, had already drawn out his beam saber and started slashing away at the unknown yellow MA that had just transformed into its mobile suit mode.  
  
Braun was almost surprised as the white Gundam Mk-II drew its beam saber out of its place and instinctively drew his Asshimar's own beam saber and narrowly blocked the Gundam's attack. He stared at the Gundam Mk-II's empty "eyes" as they glowed and kicked it off his Asshimar's presence, knocking Camille back into the water just so easily. Sensing that the golden mobile suit was going for the rest of his regiment which was already firing at it and the white Gundam Mk-II, Braun charged at the Hyakushiki toting its beam rifle and took aim at it while it was moving. To his surprise, though, the Gundam grabbed the Asshimar and sent him reeling back into the waters.  
  
Camille: /Where do you think you're going?!/  
  
Braun: /A boy?! Damn it, you creeps get younger and younger everyday! Don't you have anything better to worry about like zits and girlfriends and school, boy? You aren't gonna get the best of me, that's for sure!/  
  
Camille: /Don't be so sure of yourself, old man!/  
  
The pilot of the white Gundam thought about it as he fought on with the weird-looking yellow Titan mobile suit. Why was he pitted in this yet another new war between spacenoids and earthnoids? To "teach the earthnoids not to mess with us spacenoids", that would be the most likely reason. The Earth Federation isn't really giving away freedom on a silver platter, now that he thought of it. Camille wondered, when will all this fighting stop?  
  
Quattro: /The fighting will never stop, Camille...until everyone on Earth and the Federation recognizes that we spacenoids couldn't put up with the systems they're imposing upon us. That's why we fight, Camille. That's why I fight.../  
  
Camille: /Lieutenant Commander.../ (thinks) Heh...he read my thoughts? Well, I shouldn't be so surprised, Quattro *is* a Newtype, after all...like I am...  
  
Camille almost never saw his enemy's beam saber coming down on one of his Gundam's legs and used it to kick Braun's Asshimar on its "face". The impact sent the Asshimar reeling once again and, struggling to stand up, found what little of his patience and strength was left and charged at Camille while ordering his troops to fire at the golden mobile suit, the white Gundam Mk-II, and the two AEUG warships that were now nearing the shore.   
  
Braun: /I don't care anymore if you guys hit me, just get the job done RIGHT NOW!/  
  
And so, continuing to fire at their AEUG opponents, the small Titan regiment decides to charge at them one by one. Quite an unwise decision, Quattro told himself, as he charged back at them and single-handedly wiped out the whole regiment of Magella tanks, Marasai's, and a few Gaplants that have come back to shore in just a matter of a few minutes with some few well-placed beam rifle and bazooka shots. It just hadn't been one of his mannerisms that he should announce himself as the Red Comet himself, but to those who have died by his hand this day, they must have thought so anyway.  
  
Braun was shocked to see his troops decimated by a single AEUG mobile suit. This guy's a monster! Braun thought silently as he struggled against Camille Vidan with the last of his ability. His last fault, however, was letting himself open as Camille slashed away at his Asshimar's arm, and all too quickly, Camille stabbed at the Asshimar's cockpit with his beam saber. It wasn't long until Camille instinctively covered his face with his hands as to cover himself from the impact of Braun's heavily armored mobile suit exploding.  
  
Quattro: /Well, this was quite easy, wasn't it, Camille?/  
  
Camille: (panting) /Yeah...do you think there's more of them?/  
  
Quattro: /Excluding the last one over there.../ (points towards Rosamia's direction) /I don't think there'd be any more reinforcements from here./  
  
Camille: /Good. I'm pretty tired for today anyway...you think we should go get her?/  
  
Quattro: /"Her"? You mean the pilot's a woman, Camille?/  
  
Camille: /I...guess so...her thoughts, I couldn't really sense them, they're...a bit too cluttered for her own good, I think. It's almost like she's...not herself, you know?/  
  
Rosamia, however, just couldn't say anything as she saw the last of her fellow Titans fall at the hands of just a few AEUG mobile suits. She thought it good for herself to retreat and risk being humiliated once again by her superiors on a job not quite well done. She wondered if there would be more..."lab tests" on her tonight, as she had for the past couple of...  
  
Camille: /...I almost pity her, Quattro./  
  
Quattro: /...I see. In any case, we should dock back into the Agama immediately. I think the Commander and Captain Bright have something to say to us and I sense it might be very important./  
  
The Gaplant, leaving Emma and Roberto behind, transformed into its flying mobile armor mode and sped off to safety as Rosamia started to fill her head with thoughts again. One would say that this behavior was typical of "artificial" Newtypes, that they, in layman's terms, would be branded as "psychotic" as a result of these..."tests" done to them in a certain Titan/Federation research facility in Augusta, Georgia.  
  
-----  
  
Night was soon falling and a thin cloud of dew covered the Kennedy Space Center. This didn't really prove of any threat to the AEUG at the moment, however, as they bade farewell to the displaced people that were once inhabitants and workers for the former Federation base at Jabrow.   
  
And so Kai Shiden, the Puerto Rican international press reporter who was once the pilot of the Pegasus White Base's Guncannon in the One-Year War, had a little conversation with his old friend and colleague in the White Base, Kalaba high officer Hayato Kobayashi, who was himself once the pilot of the Guntank in their days with the Federal Forces' 13th Autonomous Corps. Hayato frowned and squinted at Kai's revelation of who Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina of the AEUG *really* was and decided to talk to the man in sunshades himself.  
  
Kai: Wait a minute there, my stout old friend. You think confronting the guy is going to change anything? It won't, he's still Char Aznable whatever way you look at it.  
  
Hayato: ...but...  
  
Kai: (pats his back) Just look at it this way, Hayato. At least now you guys on the same side, right? Come on, Char's...Quattro's not really that bad anyway...at least when he's not being the Red Comet and he's being Quattro Bajina. When he does plan on taking his original role as Char Aznable anyway, well...honestly, I don't know what will happen.  
  
Hayato: Yeah, right. But still, I don't really like the idea of working with Char Aznable, of all people...rrrrghh, it just makes me so... (punches the wall beside him)  
  
Kai: Hey, easy there! That wall's got nothing to do with your anger! Anyway, I'll be going back to space with these people in the shuttle. Looks like our good Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina's going along with them, after all. The space shuttle just seems so vulnerable to the Titans right now and the last thing Brex Forra wants right now is--  
  
Hayato: --treachery in the line of battle. That's the worst kind of tactics the Titans could ever make up...but you never know what to expect of them these days, no?  
  
Kai: Yeah. (nods) Well, I guess I better "board my plane to outer space" right now, Hayato. It was good seeing you again after so long and yet you're still a fat guy all of these years...by the way, how's Frau and the others? Have you seen Sayla lately, for that matter?  
  
Hayato: Well...Amuro's in Japan right now with the rest of the Kalaba forces available in the area taking refuge in Nerv HQ. Last I heard, they were going to work on something I don't really know what, something like sharing of technology or something like that.  
  
Kai: (grins slightly) Hmmm...Nerv, eh? These Nerv dudes in Japan have...something interesting going on inside their organization. Heh, I've never even bothered to know what that something was, looks like I'll have to do some more research in the following days, eh?  
  
Hayato: Right. About Frau...well, haven't you heard we've gotten married a short while ago? Guess you've been too busy with...your line of work lately, Kai.  
  
Kai: (gags) You and Frau?! No kiddin'!  
  
Hayato: Yeah, I'm not kidding with you, Kai. As for Sayla...I haven't heard of her since she told me she was going to go to a university in France and hope to finish her nursing school there...  
  
Kai: I see...well, like I said, it's been great meeting you again, Hayato. I'll keep in touch if you will, man.   
  
Hayato: Same here, man. Oh, and wait--!  
  
Kai: What?  
  
Hayato: There's...someone here I'd like you people to take care of. I'm sure you know him already...hey Katsu, come here, son...  
  
A few meters away while he was talking to Camille and the rest of his companions in the Agama, fourteen-year-old Katsu Kobayashi immediately recognized his adopted father's call and ran towards him. Kai had nothing but a surprised face upon seeing the once-little Katsu grow up to be a young man.  
  
Katsu: Yes, dad? Oh, hi Mr. Shiden!  
  
Kai: Is that you, Katsu? (pats his back) Hey, it's been seven years, young man, how's it going? Where's Kikka and Retsu? And..."dad"? Hey, something's going on that even I don't know about, eh? Heh heh heh, care to tell?  
  
Hayato: They're back in Japan now, Kai, along with his mother Frau. He's also seen Amuro quite a few weeks back in Cheyenne...oh, and did I tell you we've adopted him along with Retsu and Kikka?  
  
Kai: No, I don't believe you did...  
  
Katsu: Hey dad, can I go along with uncle Kai here to space?  
  
Hayato: What for?  
  
Katsu: Umm...well, I'd really want to see our old place in Side 7 again...  
  
Hayato: But Katsu, Commander Brex Forra's going to Side 6...and Side 7's a *long* way from there, if I remember correctly...hmm, you're not making excuses again, are you?  
  
Katsu: Umm...no, dad! Well...I'd want to talk to Commander Brex and Lieutenant Quattro about something...  
  
Hayato: Hmm, I don't know...  
  
Kai: Oh, come on, man. Give the kid a chance! Besides, I'd bet it's a long time since he'd been to outer space again, so maybe this is the right time for him to do so, right? (grins at Katsu)  
  
Katsu: Umm...well...yeah, I guess so...  
  
Hayato: Hmm. So you're going to space without your brother and sister. Well, I won't tell them and your mother about this trip you'll be having to outer space...I'd bet your mother would be very worried for you, son...oh well, but I know you're a tough guy. Just take care of yourself, all right?  
  
Katsu: Cool! Thanks, dad!  
  
Kai: Heh. Well, I guess I'll see you in a while, eh, old friend?  
  
Hayato: Guess so. Later, man. And take care of yourself, son...  
  
Katsu: Yeah, I will, dad...  
  
Kai: Heh. Later...  
  
After a warm handshake, the two friends wave at each other as Kai walked off with an arm over Katsu's shoulder into the space shuttle carrying the Jabrow citizens into their new home colony in the neutral Side 6. Like what Kai had told Hayato, Brex really was taking Quattro and Roberto along with him into Side 6, but this was just in case they would need some escorts if ever the need arises.  
  
With Fa resting her head on his arm while clinging to it, Camille sighed as he saw the space shuttle go off into space. There were a few goodbyes that have been said; Camille just knew they would meet once again. He just hoped that the good commander Brex Forra would come back in one piece along with Quattro.  
  
Fa: So where are we headed this time?  
  
Camille: We go back to Japan, I think...  
  
Fa: Is that right...you know, I wonder when will all this fighting end...  
  
Remembering the words that Quattro had imparted to him earlier, Camille once again sighed and told Fa what Quattro had told him. Fa just nodded as she gazed up the sky and looked at the star-lit sky, the space shuttle slowly fading away into the darkness of night.  
  
---  
  
Yet two more days of boredom pass, at least in Asuka's case, as she sat down to lunch with her new friend who seemed to be the class president or class representative or whatever they called it in Japan, a nice-looking freckled Japanese girl with hair tied into two ponytails at the back of her head and about the same age as she was, Hikari Horaki.  
  
Hikari: Umm...so, you've known Ikari ever since you were children?  
  
Asuka: Yeah, something like that. But don't go thinking we're like boyfriend and girlfriend or anything, it's just that I pity the poor guy sometimes when he gets his butt kicked, so I kinda save him when he's in trouble, you know.  
  
Hikari: But...but that's the same isn't it?  
  
Asuka: (blushes lightly) No, that's *definitely* not the same, Hikari-chan! I mean, I've already got someone in my sights... (giggles)  
  
Hikari: Oooh! Is he cute? (giggles)  
  
All of Asuka's and Hikari's other girl friends join in on the conversation, much to Asuka's surprise, but then she chuckled as the giggles died down and looked around to see if there's anyone else listening on them. Since nobody else in the school canteen cared on whatever these girls would talk about, Asuka continued on her tale of the man whom she was so deeply attracted to known as Ryouji Kaji.  
  
Asuka: (grins) Hmmm...well...let's say he *is* kind of mature for me, but then age doesn't really matter in situations like these, ne? Eh heh heh heh heh...  
  
Hikari: But I thought you and Ikari were--  
  
Asuka: Oh, Shinji? Tch, he don't even have the balls to put up with *me*! Besides, why'd I fall for someone like Shinji Ikari? It's just *too* unthinkable, hello?  
  
As if by cue, the boy in question was passing by with his two friends and the trio looked like they could use some nutrition in a hurry, if one would call the canteen food in their school "nutrition". Shinji didn't seem to notice Asuka was inside the canteen, though.  
  
Female classmate A: Oh...speaking of the devil...here he comes right now, Asuka...  
  
Asuka: (pouts and crosses her arms) Hmph! So what! Well, at least he's got Wonder Girl to keep him company...  
  
Shinji: (overhears their conversation as he, Toji, and Kensuke were passing them by) And what in the heck is *that* supposed to mean?  
  
Female classmate B: Who's "Wonder Girl"?  
  
Female classmate C: I think she's talking about Ayanami...  
  
Hikari: (sighs) Girl, I think you're just jealous of Ayanami...I mean, look at Ikari here... (eyes Shinji carefully and "hmmm"'s) He sure looks like the type to go for the sullen ones...oops! Err...wrong choice of words...  
  
Asuka: (looks bored) Naah, you're right. Well, I've got *so* much better things to do than worry about... (leers at Shinji) ...idiots like this guy here! Rrrrgh, get away from my sight, wimp! You're spoiling our lunch here! And Hikari-chan...I am NOT jealous of that...that...  
  
Shinji: Hah, as if *you're* not already spoiling *my* appetite, redheaded freak! Let's go, guys... (walks away with Toji and Kensuke)  
  
Toji: (whispers to Kensuke) Gee, I dint know Shinji could talk tough like dat...  
  
Kensuke: (whispers back) Yeah...well, you do know how these spacenoids can get...hey, but Shinji you didn't have to be so rude!  
  
Asuka: (sighs and slumps on the table) Why does this always happen to me?!  
  
Hikari: Oh well...men are like that sometimes, they can be real gentlemen or real jerks. You just have to be good in looking between the lines sometimes...  
  
Asuka: Yeah...I guess so...  
  
Intent on making Asuka a little less too depressed about things, Hikari changed the subject of discussion to what they're supposed to do with any surprise quiz that one of their teachers might have in store for them today. Which didn't really make Asuka's mood any better because if it's one thing in the world she dislikes, it's tests and quizzes. Well, not that it's a big deal to Asuka anyway, she *did* finish university already at her age and all...  
  
Shinji, however, had a lot of other things on his mind than to mess around with Asuka. Well, at least, like what Misato had told him this morning, he didn't have to fight any Angels for today. Yeah, right, he thought, and I'd have to deal with school instead...geez, what a week I'm having...  
  
Kensuke: Mumbling again, Shinji? (sits beside him)  
  
Shinji: Eh...huh? Oh, was I mumbling back there?  
  
Toji: Yeah, an' you said somethin' 'bout not havin' a good week and all, is it about that redheaded newbie again? She really getting int' yer nerves or anythin'?  
  
Shinji: (sighs) Sorry, guys, it's not about Asuka...well...maybe it's just that I'm getting into another one of those "pits of depression" that you guys have been telling me that I've been getting into for the past couple of weeks already. I dunno, maybe it's that, maybe not.  
  
Kensuke: (shifts his eyeglasses and sips at his milk carton) I see...well we were just concerned for you, that's all. (sighs) Man, I wonder when the AEUG will ever come back here in Japan...  
  
Shinji: Wait a minute, why are *you* so concerned about the AEUG's return here? It's not like you'll be directly involved with the war that's going on or anything...  
  
Toji: Ikari, ya fail to comprehend da current situation here. Ah did tell ya once I was worried if dis war dat's been goin' on would ever spill out to our daily lives I mean, what wid dose "Angels" comin' here too an' all...  
  
Kensuke: Yeah, I'm worried about that too...but *my* concern, Mr. Toji Suzuhara, would be that...that...  
  
Shinji: Oh, boy. Here we go again...  
  
Kensuke: (gets all beady-eyed) ...that I'd get to see if there are any new mobile suits that the AEUG has! Oooohhhh...you know guys, I just happened to stumble upon some interesting information between the AEUG and Anaheim...  
  
Toji: Yeah, yeah, we git da picture--  
  
Kensuke: Would you just listen to me for once?!  
  
Shinji: (sighs) All right, Mr. I'm-the-greatest-hacker-in-the-world, what..."interesting information" do you have for us this time?  
  
Kensuke: (pouts) Hmph! Well, I don't blame you two if you aren't Believers but all right, I'll spill it anyway. Well, as you probably know by now, Anaheim Electronics Inc. is sort of the default manufacturer and engineer for almost all of the Federation's--and unfortunately, the Titans'--mobile suits, yes?  
  
Toji: Well, I din't know dat cuz I'm no compyutah hackah like you, git it?  
  
Shinji: Shh! Go on, Kensuke...  
  
Kensuke: Well, around a night or two ago I've been doing some little surfing and leeching on the Internet while I was hacking into Anaheim's database---or was it the other way around? Never mind--and I happened to get into their email *accidentally*. Let me emphasize the word "accidentally" here, folks.  
  
Shinji and Toji: (exchange strange looks then squint at Kensuke) Mmmmhmmm....  
  
Kensuke: Now what the heck are you guys looking at me like that for? Oh, all right...there was this one Camille Vidan whom I believe you've already met, Ikari, and whom I believe is making blueprints for quite an interesting mobile suit. You guys wouldn't really understand anyway because... (smirks and shakes one finger at them) ...you're both just not too tech-savvy like I am. Heh heh heh heh...sorry, guys.  
  
Shinji: Grr.  
  
Toji: (raises an eyebrow) So we're *dumb* now, eh Kensuke?  
  
Kensuke: Did I say you were dumb, Toji? Would you just let me finish, all right? Well, now...I'd like to ask you guys something. Isn't it quite weird as to why Anaheim would just have the audacity to help the AEUG while they're also providing mobile suits for the Federation?  
  
Shinji and Toji looked at Kensuke for one silent moment as they thought about why indeed would Anaheim Electronics whom almost everyone knew was a primary supplier of mobile suits to the Federation.  
  
Shinji: Maybe they just have to do "business as usual"? I mean, a business *has* to make money in any legal way possible these days, even if it means serving both the AEUG and the Titans...  
  
Kensuke: That's one of the definite reasons for it, Ikari. Of course, whoever's the highest bidder, even Anaheim itself couldn't probably resist, right?  
  
Toji: So...what's yer point in all dis?  
  
Kensuke: All I'm saying is that...well, umm...  
  
Shinji and Toji: Well?  
  
Kensuke: Err...actually, I don't know! Eh heh heh heh heh heh! (grins and scratches his head) Well so anyway, have you guys ever studied for our surprise quiz on our next class?  
  
Toji: (looks a bit pissed off) Ya mean dere's anotha' one o' dose quizzes again? Ahh, don' even bother...haven't been studyin' lately anyway, so--  
  
Shinji: Aww, man...not another quiz! We just had one last meeting! Damn, I have to study...  
  
Kensuke: (looks at Shinji weirdly) But I thought Eva pilots need not study anymore because they're exempted from quizzes and exams anyway...  
  
Shinji: (leers at Kensuke) Kensuke, I may not know *all* the rules and regulations concerning any of the Children's being students, but I know for a fact that I *have* to study somewhat, even if I'm exempted or not!   
  
Toji: Gee...dat doesn't sound like you, Ikari...you sure ya feelin' fine t'day? (checks Shinji's temperature)  
  
Shinji: ...don't ever touch me again, Toji. Grr.  
  
-----  
  
And so a few days pass after the supreme leader of the AEUG flies off into space once again, with his trusted right-hand man and Lieutenant Commander. So far, the Agama and the Radish have luckily managed to avoid any confrontation with the Titans, so that's fine enough for Camille and the rest of the crew...at least that's what Camille and the rest of the crew thinks. Bright Noah sighed as he looked at the pile of paperwork before him and sat down at Brex's office chair inside the Agama. While he might have agreed to a 50/50 deal as to doing the Commander's paperwork while he was away, deep within the pommy captain's heart he had admitted he hated paperwork, even in the old days.  
  
Bright: (sighs and thinks) Well, I just have to do everything here that's set before me from now on. Pity everyone else's busy doing maintenance...heh, not that anyone can do any of this paperwork anyway...  
  
A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door. Bright immediately knew it was Fa from her squeaky little voice calling out his rank and name, so he let her in. The automatic door slides open and there was Fa, but she had Camille with her--rather behind her, looking rather unusually sullen.  
  
Bright: Oh...I didn't know you had Camille with you, Fa. Come on in here, Camille, and sit down.  
  
Fa: (sits down on a seat in front of Bright's table) Good morning, Captain!  
  
Bright: Err...good morning, Fa...you're looking lively as usual, I guess...  
  
Fa: Thank you, Captain! Camille, Would you come in here already?  
  
Camille: (enters Brex's office and sits down on another chair in front of the table) Okay... (stands in attention before Bright and hand-salutes him)  
  
Bright: (salutes back) At ease, Camille. Sit down. Anything I can help you two with? Uhh... (looks at his papers) Oh, don't mind these, I'll get them done in a while anyway.  
  
Fa: Umm...I'd just like to know where we're headed next, sir. And why is the Audomura still following us?  
  
Bright: Hmm, well, as you probably know by now, we'll be heading back to Japan to retrieve the rest of our people there, but for the moment, if I remember what Commander Brex, Lieutenant Quattro, and I talked about, we'll be heading for Hong Kong first to get some supplies and other things we'd use. I believe we'll be meeting with this one Luo Wu-ming there, someone whom the Commander told me was a representative of another AEUG-supportive firm.   
  
Fa: (nods) Oh, I see...well, I have to admit, we *do* have quite some supporters in the weirdest of places, don't we?  
  
Bright: Yes. And as for the Audomura...well, Lieutenant Hayato Kobayashi decided it best to go along with us until to the point that the Audomura must make its way towards Japan and into the Kalaba's secret installation in Kyoto or some other place in Japan...  
  
Camille: Aren't there any places where we could get any supplies from near here? I believe by now, we're over Hawaii and we'll be nearing Asia a few hours from now...  
  
Bright: That's the problem, Camille. Apparently there aren't any AEUG or Kalaba-supportive bases near where we are, and for all I know, we're kind of...passing over dangerous territory once again. Last I heard, the Federation put up a Titan base somewhere on New Guinea and well, we're not entirely safe in our condition. But then, that was seven years ago, so things might be a little different from what I or any of us expect.  
  
Fa: A Titan base in New Guinea? But that's...  
  
Bright: Yeah, but I hear it's still being put up so we shouldn't expect much from them...but as always, we should be ready.  
  
Fa: Hmmm...in that case, that shouldn't be a problem...well, I guess I better be going back to the bridge, Captain. (stands up and salutes Bright, who salutes back at her) I'll see you, Camille! (grins and kisses Camille on his cheek)  
  
Camille: (kisses back) Yeah...I guess so... (bites on his thumb as he sees Fa leave Brex's office)  
  
Fa: (turns around) And would you stop that thumb-sucking habit of yours?! It's annoying, you know! (walks away)  
  
Bright: Hmm. (shakes his head) You really ought to stop sucking at your thumb, Camille. It's not fitting for such people like you who work for the AEUG as a fighter now.  
  
Camille: (blushes lightly) Umm...sorry...  
  
Bright: Heh. Well, aren't you going to go after her?  
  
Camille: Umm...no...actually...  
  
Bright: Hmm? What is it?  
  
Camille: Well, I've always wanted to ask you how it was working with Captain Amuro Ray...I mean, seven years ago when he was just still...  
  
Bright: Oh, that! Hmm, well...working with Amuro's not such a big deal when he's not going into his temper tantrums seven years ago. He was quite the genius like you are right now, quite a prodigy too. He'd be stubborn at times but he was a good fighter then. I just don't know why he'd stayed out of the service after that last battle with the Red Comet, but oh well, I guess war does that to people sometimes. You get too tired of fighting, next thing people know, you're back. (shrugs and starts working on his papers)  
  
Camille: Ahh... (pauses for a while) Well...umm...why do you think he came back?  
  
Bright: I thought you knew the answer to that already, Camille. Well, I'll tell you anyway. In the short time I've known him, I've always perceived Amuro as a sort of a believer of equality and peace for spacenoids and for earthnoids, but he'd never joined the Zeons seven years ago. I guess it came from the fact that the Zeons *did* attack that Side 7 colony I was assigned to, which was also coincidentally a colony housing a Federation research facility for the RX-78-2 Gundam headed by Amuro's dad, Tim Ray. I've...heard of weird stories from among my ranks that Lieutenant Tim Ray may have been involved with some group named "Seele", but then I'd never bothered to know what that group stood for. Anyway, Camille...I think you really ought to go now, I have a lot of work to do here. I'm sorry for my manners, but well... (shrugs) There's just a lot of work to be done here, you know?  
  
Camille: Thanks for your time anyway, Captain. (stands up and salutes at Bright)  
  
Bright: (salutes back) Dismissed, private. Now, keep those good manners of yours and you might actually go somewhere, all right?  
  
Camille: Yes, sir...  
  
The 15-year-old Newtype could almost swear he heard Bright spout some curses at the big pile of paperwork that the captain was "doomed" to work out. He even thought he heard him mention something about getting a new DVD player for himself, but he didn't seem to mind about that anyway.  
  
Camille walked down the halls somewhere in the Agama. Somehow, he had the strangest feeling--it wasn't quite a Newtype premonition, but then--that his life would never be the same once they land in Hong Kong City.  
  
Reccoa: Hmm, okay. I'll see you later, I guess. Bye! (presses the "end call" button on her cellphone) Hey Camille, wait up! (follows after him) Where ya going?  
  
---  
  
One who would be too observant over the events of the past seven years would have thought the old asteroid base Axis had something weird going on inside it, if not thinking it was abandoned for some compelling reason. Axis definitely had something going on inside it--the makings of a renewed campaign of the last remaining Zeon forces headed by a new leader.  
  
This leader of the said renegade Zeon forces in the old asteroid military base Axis was quite a fine-looking young lady, sporting her dark pink hair parted in the middle and going down to her shoulders, and looked like she was probably in her late twenties. Few have known her to show the same beauty inside of her to match her outside appearance; her heart and mind were those of one who had the skill and determination of a Zeon military leader intent on bringing back the lost glory that was once the Duchy of Zeon's. This time, however, it would be these "Neo Zeon" forces that would be coming into play, so to speak, in this new war between the mysterious (at least to some) Zeon-like group known as the AEUG and this upstart "elite" Federation-sponsored military organization aptly named the "Titans".  
  
She rose up from her bed in her private quarters and soon enough went to change from her skimpy, almost see-through black nightdress into her trademark tight-fitting black one-piece formal dress, not forgetting to check her alarm clock to see if it really was already 8:00 in the morning. Not that time mattered anyway in space, in her opinion.  
  
A few of her troops doing maintenance jobs on their mobile suits salute her on her way to that place somewhere inside Axis where all of the Zeons usually ate. She went into the almost-empty canteen (had it not been for their resident cooks there), and served herself the usual breakfast she takes every morning; butlers were quite a luxury at this time and age, more so for people who once lived in Side 3, so she thought it necessary to "do everything herself".   
  
This leader of the said renegade Zeon forces in the old asteroid military base Axis, henceforth to be called the "Axis Zeons" or the "Neo Zeon forces", sat down and ate her simple breakfast of chocolate-flavored pancakes and bacon and mused on some things going through her mind for a couple of days already. She usually ate alone for the reason that she had specifically told her underlings to wait until 9:00 AM for her to finish, and only then can they partake of their few blessings she had to feed them. Besides, she'd much rather eat alone...  
  
Except maybe for one person she'd be glad to eat with, out of her respect and honor for the person: a young girl, presumably around eight or ten years old, arrayed in some elegant military garb with the old crest of the Duchy of Zeon sewn across the chest, came into the canteen with two armed Zeon bodyguards and sat down with the Axis Zeon leader, bringing a tray of her own breakfast.  
  
girl: Good morning, Haman. Fine day, isn't it?  
  
Haman: And an excellent morning to you too, Lady Minerva. Care to join me in my breakfast?  
  
Minerva: Why, yes, of course. (turns to her two bodyguards) You two may leave now. (the guards leave the room, then Minerva turns towards Haman and sighs) You know, I don't know why you'd even bother letting those two idiots back there accompany me...besides, *you're* my personal bodyguard anyway.  
  
Haman: (nods) Hmm...well, I guess it's because I can't be with you all the time, my Lady.  
  
Minerva: Hmm. Well, anyway, this has been a really... (stretches out) Mmmm! Fun weekend for me...  
  
Haman: (smirks *very* slightly) Oh? Hmm, well, tell me about it...  
  
Minerva: Well, for starters, I think I may have gotten the hang of my math lessons from last week. (sighs) Oh boy...these algebra equations can be so taxing, but really, they just bore the heck out of me. Eh heh.  
  
Haman: Is that so, my Lady? Well... (strokes Minerva's hair) I would just wish you good luck on your studies, Lady Minerva Lao Zabi.  
  
Minerva: (grins) Heh heh, thank you! Oh, but you didn't have to call me by my full name all the time, you know! (giggles) or else I'll have to call you "Regent Haman Khan" everyday, you know! Tee-hee...  
  
Haman just chuckled as they went on with their breakfast and chatted along like they usually did each morning, since the time that Minerva's late father, the infamous brute and one of the high officials of the Duchy of Zeon, Dozul Zabi, entrusted her father and herself for his daughter Minerva's care.  
  
"Zabi." A name both feared and loved among the citizens of Side 3, where the Duchy of Zeon once existed, and the now-crumbling supposedly Federation-subsidized Republic of Zeon now resides. None in the Earth Federation, and probably not a lot of Zeons and residents of Side 3 itself, thought that there was a last remaining member of the Zabi family still existing, and this was the bright young girl we now know as Minerva Lao Zabi. Minerva, however, didn't really want to live under the shadows of her deceased uncles and aunt Giren, Garma, and Kishiria, respectively, and not even her father, Dozul. At such a young age, she wanted to make a name for herself as the figurehead and soon to be leader of the Neo Zeon and hope to make her place in the known world.  
  
But little did Minerva know, in the disadvantage of her young age, is that Haman Khan, daughter of a once-prominent deceased military adviser to the late Duke Degin Sodo Zabi, Maharajah Khan, and regent to Minerva, was just using the girl as sort of a puppet to carry out her rather malicious intentions on "assuming complete leadership", as if it were not already hers, of the Neo Zeon army in the guise of "regaining and upholding the Duchy's lost glory".  
  
Minerva: ...hmm, but still...I wonder what happened to Uncle Char. You know, the Red Comet?  
  
Haman: No one knows for sure, my Lady, but I think...I feel...he's watching over us, and that he's pretty close by...  
  
It was almost as if Haman knew what she was talking about as her thoughts wandered off to muse over a certain rebel group other than their own...it was none other than the AEUG itself.  
  
---  
  
Brex: What do you think you'll be doing about this umm..."Neo Zeon" issue that's been going around our spy network for quite a few days now, Lieutenant Quattro?  
  
Quattro Bajina thought carefully about that. So there's this rumor going around about another Zeon uprising in Axis, he thought...somehow, Char--no, Quattro--wasn't really too surprised about this turn of events. It was almost as if he knew this was bound to happen, at least anyway after he left Axis almost a year ago...  
  
Quattro: Honestly, sir...I don't really know. Like what you or I might have said a few days ago, we'll just have to wait and see what happens next. As far as this war's going, the Titans are a big enough threat to us already, even though we have one of their own Gundams to use against them.   
  
Brex: You're right on that, Lieutenant. The Titans might be a small group like ours but they have the Federation watching their backs...that's not to say that's the whole Federation backing them up, though. There are still a few of my colleagues who would like to...support us in any way they can for the reason that they would want a change in our system. Pity that they wouldn't want to get directly involved in our affairs, though.  
  
Quattro: I see...  
  
The old AEUG commander leaned back on his chair, sighing, and took out a single cigarette from his coat pocket. With one eyebrow raised, Quattro looked at his commanding officer interestingly and leaned back on his chair himself as well.  
  
Brex: Do you smoke, Lieutenant? (lights his cigarette)  
  
Quattro: No, sir...I don't smoke nor drink liquor, sir.  
  
Brex: Heh, and I didn't even asked you if you drank wine, man. Well, I expected that answer from you, sir. (puffs his cigarette) I haven't smoked for years now even before I met my deceased wife a very long time ago when I was still just a chief petty officer in the Federal Forces, and since then, I haven't even thought of smoking at times like these...but then... (shakes his head) I just feel so *tense* right now, Lieutenant Commander Quattro...or should I call you "Char" now, sir?  
  
Quattro: I know how you feel, Commander. (sighs) I feel quite tense as of the moment as I don't really know where this war's going right now, what with the emergence of this...new Zeon issue we have going on. Well, I suppose it's all right if you call me by my old name, Commander.  
  
Brex: Hmm...that so?   
  
Soon enough, there was a minute of ominous silence as Brex slowly puffed away at his cigarette, looking out the window to the outer darkness of space illuminated by various specks of starlight and mused about a lot of things on his mind.  
  
Brex: You know, sir...I just don't know why I even let you be my subordinate anymore. After all, someone with the likes of the Red Comet should be leading the AEUG, and not an old man like me...  
  
Quattro: But...from what I remember, I believe that, more or less, we share the same exasperation against the Titans, and more so, the Federation and their abuse of their authority against my fellow spacenoids, even though you're an earthnoid yourself...  
  
Brex: Yes, you're right on that again, Lieutenant. I've seen my share of the ugliness that's been happening inside the Federation, since for one or two times in my life I've been involved in the Federation's political matters...but that's a bit far from the point, Char. I'm an old man now: I don't really know how long I'll live anymore through these "endless" wars that we've been waging. Hell, I'd reckon some damn fool out there might even try and assassinate me before I die of this sickness plaguing me...  
  
Quattro: Commander...please don't say things like that...  
  
Brex: Do not pretend to be worried for me, Char. (leers at him) While it's true that I, along with the rest of us in the AEUG, didn't like it when the Titans went and killed a lot of innocent people in 30 Bunch...well, 30 Bunch *was* still in Side 3, where you came from, right?  
  
Quattro: What are you getting at, sir?  
  
Brex: My whole point in this is that *you* might have to take the responsibility of taking over for me as rightful leader of the AEUG someday. Please don't run away from your responsibility, Red Comet. I just know *you* can do it better than I'm doing right now.  
  
Quattro: .....  
  
The blonde man took off his sunglasses and thought about his commander's last statement as Brex quietly left the room after putting out his cigarette and leaving it on an ashtray. "His" responsibility, Brex had said. And he, the Red Comet, being told he was running away from that responsibility. Those words have moved Quattro--no, Char--so much that he started to think about not only his responsibility to the AEUG, but also about other obligations that have been nearly buried in the past along with the Zabi's...mainly, not only as rightful leader of the AEUG, but also the rightful heir to that which was once the Duchy of Zeon, his father's handiwork of only God knows it has taken. This had prompted him once again to think about his only remaining relative, about how she's been doing for the past seven years now...  
  
Quattro: Artesia...when can I see you again, my sister?  
  
-----  
  
It was a fine day in Paris. Everyone was quite busy in his or her own activities: going here and there just being...well, busy. Sayla Mass, a nice-looking blonde girl, probably in her twenties, once a pilot of the RX-78-2 Gundam and once a crew member of the infamous Pegasus White Base in the One-Year War, stopped to look around her surroundings and sat down on a bench somewhere in the park where once could have a very nice view of the Eiffel Tower.  
  
Sayla didn't really like to dwell on failures and successes past in her life, but for a moment, she remembered her old friends and colleagues in the White Base. There was the ill-fated Federal Forces trainee Ryu Jose, who died a little too early for his own good. There was of course everybody's captain Bright Noah; that "coward" Kai Shiden; Hayato Kobayashi; Mirai Yashima, whom she had heard actually married Bright. There were also those three orphaned children, Retsu, Kikka, and Katsu; and Frau Bow, whom she had also heard rumors of her getting married to Hayato and adopting the three children...and of course, there was the revered "hero of the One-Year War" himself, Amuro Ray. How could she forget Amuro, whom she had a short-lived affair with?  
  
Yes, there was Amuro...and then there was his rival, her very own elder brother, Casval...or as he'd like to call himself at the time, "the Red Comet, Char Aznable", ace pilot of the vast army her father once held and lost thanks to those wretched Zabi's, the Duchy of Zeon. She could even clearly remember that moment that she and her brother had met each other again after a long period of time; she could even remember him calling her by her *true* name, "Artesia". A name she'd rather keep buried along with her late father Zeon Zum Daikun as she had chosen to live a new life outside the responsibility of being Zeon royalty...and outside of fighting in wars for good.   
  
She could even clearly remember those words as to why Casval really was wearing that odd-looking, wretched mask, "I am not your older brother Casval whom you once knew." And he was right, he wasn't. He had been so obsessed with eliminating the earthnoids...the "Oldtypes" that she had argued with Casval that was the "soil from which Newtypes and all spacenoids come from in the first place." She wasn't very happy with what her brother had become.  
  
Sayla was happy with her life as a college student in France pursuing her dream of being a doctor someday; somehow, all the fighting that has been going on in the world had taught her not to be involved anymore, as she was tired of it all. She didn't even care about the fact that she was a Newtype like Amuro or her own elder brother...but still, she'd be thinking of Casval...or Char...and how he was doing for these past seven years...  
  
Sayla: Casval...I just hope you're doing fine, brother. I just hope you and Amuro wouldn't fight anymore...  
  
-----  
  
Episode 10, "Try, Try Again"  
-------------------  
  
It has already been a few days after that incident in Florida. Admiral Jamitov Heimann, supreme leader of the Titans, had been less than pleased with what's been happening for the past few days...or weeks...or whatever...what with their "little" situation with the AEUG. Old man Jamitov looked like he was not going to have a very good life ahead of him; he nearly crushed the glass goblet of wine he was holding in his anger if it were not for his frailty.   
  
Jamitov looked around him; there were just a few men in the boardroom, men of which he had entrusted that there should be no more of these anti-Federation movements anymore. Men like Colonel Bosque Ohm and his subordinate Sergeant Jamaican Danningan, captain of the Alexandria. Men like Major Paptimus Scirocco, the very same person with shoulder-length purple hair, who had just came back to Earth after a Federation-sponsored science exploration project in Jupiter. Men like Lieutenant Franklin Vidan, Camille's estranged father.  
  
Jamitov: What do you people have to say for yourselves this time?  
  
Bosque: Admiral...I would think that the AEUG's been driven to a corner what with these reports that have been coming in concerning--  
  
Jamitov: I do *not* want any more of the same excuses, Colonel. I want results, and I want them now! (slams his hand on the table) Damn it, men...the AEUG couldn't really be that hard to crush!  
  
Vidan: Well, sir...umm...I'd just like to point out that the AEUG's been losing mobile suits faster than we are, sir. They've been running out of supplies as we speak and for all we know they might already be taking some desperate measures as to their own survival, sir.  
  
Jamitov: All right, let's say there's that issue already. But who are we to say the final word on the AEUG's condition? For all we know, there might be actually some more supporters of the AEUG than what we've previously known! I say we make an appeal to the Federation Congress in Dakar, request a new Federal Forces draft into our own, and--  
  
Scirocco: (raises his hand) --if I may interrupt for a moment, sir. You *are* right on one thing, there *are* more of the AEUG's supporters out there than we could have possibly thought of at first, and we'd have a really hard time cracking them down because their spy network's more complicated than I had expected. I have...even heard that they've gotten the partial support of this super-secret Federation-subsidized organization named "Nerv" and that other AEUG "sister company", a small armed group named the "Kalaba", and they're not really forces to be reckoned with. Do you want to know why?  
  
Jamitov: Why indeed, Major Scirocco?  
  
Scirocco: Simple. They've employed the services of these..."heroes" of the One-Year War, namely former Captain Amuro Ray and former Colonel Bright Noah of the Federal Forces. I even...hear that the AEUG even has the Red Comet on their side. In any case, if they do have the Red Comet *and* Amuro Ray with them, we're in for a long hard fight, Admiral.  
  
Jamitov: I...see. Would you want to have any...suggestions as to counter this?  
  
Scirocco: The least we can do is expect our base in New Guinea to successfully exterminate them. If I remember correctly, a short distance away from Hong Kong City, we have some sort of another Newtype Research Institute just like what we have in Augusta, Georgia...and just like what the Zeons have, what with their Flanagan Agency.  
  
Jamitov: We shouldn't be so confident about our troops in New Guinea exterminating the AEUG because it's still being built up along with our new Newtype Research Labs there. What's more, I hear rumors that there are also hidden enemy bases in Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, and of course, Tokyo itself. Not to mention Manila as well...I guess I'll go ask my secretary to remind me next time to scour those places of any AEUG supporters...  
  
Bosque: He's right, Major. If worse comes to worse, I fear that these cities might even--  
  
Scirocco: They wouldn't *dare* use nuclear weapons, Colonel. I assure you. Haven't you learned that in your Geopolitics class, Colonel? (smirks) Besides, the Federal Forces will be all over their sorry asses once they do...  
  
Bosque: ..... (thinks) Scirocco...this chap's definitely a Newtype...I'd think he'd just practically read my mind just now...  
  
Jamitov: In any case, I just hope there are some ground and air troops as well as anti-MS units assigned in our New Guinea base...by the way, Major...how do you know the Agama is going to land in Hong Kong in the first place anyway?  
  
Scirocco: (smirks and strokes his own hair) I have my sources, Admiral.  
  
-----  
  
And so, it was yet another same old boring middle-of-the-day, like it usually is for Shinji, Asuka, and their other classmates. One wouldn't know if boredom affects Rei at all, but still, almost everyone in Shinji's and Asuka's class was yawning when they finally got out of class.   
  
There had been no surprise Angel attacks for the past few days, and that meant less work for Shinji, Asuka, and Rei, except maybe for the occasional Eva synchronization tests that they usually took after a school day every two days. That rift between Shinji and Asuka had narrowed a little when Shinji volunteered to treat Asuka earlier to lunch when he heard she forgot her wallet back at her hotel, much to the pair's embarrassment as almost everyone who saw them asked if they were lying when they said they weren't an item.  
  
It was more so boring at Nerv HQ itself as the three head control room operators did their maintenance jobs at the moment. Second Lieutenants Maya Ibuki, Shigeru Aoba, and Makoto Hyuga were all having a light lunch inside the control room, careful that their drinks won't spill off into their computers.  
  
Maya: You know what, guys...I think it's strange that there aren't any Angel attacks for the past couple of days or so...I mean, they're way behind schedule according to the data given to me by Commander Ikari...  
  
Shigeru: You mean there are actually some definite times and dates that the Angels will come here to Tokyo? How...interesting...  
  
Maya: Well, they're not actually accurate and precise, to be exact. I've checked the actual times and dates that the past Angels have arrived here in Tokyo so far...well, it's either they're two days late or one week too early, I'd say.  
  
Makoto: Do you think the Commander's just giving you the wrong data on purpose and that he has a more accurate...list of the "schedules of arrival" of the Angels?   
  
Maya: It's not far from the truth, Hyuga...but then who are we to question the Commander himself? I mean, we're just here to report data that's been going on in the battlefield and help in the Children's synchro tests with their Eva's and...  
  
Shigeru: I'm wondering about that too, Maya.  
  
Makoto: Anyway, I guess we shouldn't really be surprised if the next Angel's estimated time of arrival would be far from that of the real thing itself, right?  
  
Maya: (pouts and munches away) I guess so...hey Aoba, would you give me some of that ketchup? This burger's a little bland...  
  
Shigeru: Huh? Oh, sure... (gives her a ketchup sachet) Geez Louise, I'm *never* going to get used to Western food...personally I'd like some home-cooked bentou right now...  
  
Makoto: (snickers) Want me to make you one? Heh heh...  
  
Shigeru: ..... (leers at Makoto) Hyuga...make one for *yourself* you perverted kook. Oh, which reminds me...hey, you haven't even thought of giving my Ranma 1/2 manga back to me, haven't you? What, you're planning on keeping it?  
  
Makoto: Uhh...hey! It's not like I'm finished with it yet! And what about my *antique* Mazinger Z and Getta Robo tapes? Don't you know they cost a *fortune* nowadays? What, you've already sold them or something?  
  
Shigeru: (stands up) Hey, now I'm not saying anything, all right? Give me back my manga and I'll give you back your tapes, let's say...Monday, all right?  
  
Makoto: Yeah, sure...  
  
Maya: (sighs and thinks) Gee whiz...*men* nowadays! If it's not manga, it's crummy old super robot anime tapes...oh well. At least they're not making moves on *me*, that's for sure...  
  
Makoto: Hey Ibuki, do you still have that receipt from the Laundromat? I have to get my stuff back 'cuz I have to change into my other uniform... (smells himself) This one *stinks*, man...  
  
Maya: Huh?! Oh my Lord, so that explains that odd smell from yesterday when you were assisting me with the Children's synchro test! Here... (takes the receipt from her uniform chest pocket) You get it yourself! And don't forget to go get my stuff and Aoba's stuff as well, okay? Geez...  
  
Shigeru: Ho-ho. Looks like we got a new name to call "Mako-chan" here...heh heh heh heh...  
  
Makoto: Hey man, don't start, okay?! I've just had enough of--what the...? Hey, guys, look at this!  
  
Makoto pointed to something on Maya's "radar" screen moving slowly towards Tokyo. The radar didn't indicate any signs of Minovsky radiation emissions, and from the wavelength pattern detected on the moving object, it had a "blue" pattern--yet another Angel has arrived.  
  
Shigeru: Well, well...looks like this isn't going to be a boring day after all...in any case, we should inform Captain Katsuragi immediately and--  
  
Just then, off came Misato in her full, almost-skimpy, red uniform from the elevator behind them wiping the sweat off from her brow and walked briskly towards them as if she was still in a hurry from where she came from. The three Nerv control room operators dismissed the thought that she was in the middle of a date with either her old boyfriend Kaji or her "new boyfriend" Captain Amuro Ray since the Angel's arrival was of top priority as of the moment.  
  
Misato: (panting) You were saying, Lieutenant Aoba?  
  
Shigeru: Umm...right...  
  
Misato: Right. Call up any available Children on their cellphones and advise them to come to Headquarters immediately for battle. Maya, advise the docking stations to prepare Units-00 to 02 for launch.  
  
Maya: Yes, ma'am! /All docking stations, please--/  
  
Makoto: I'm just curious, Captain...how'd you know there was another Angel on its way here?  
  
Misato: Well, Lieutenant Hyuga, I was driving and on my way to HQ anyway earlier when I saw it just off the coast walking at quite a slow rate, but I already knew it was headed here. It's another one of those big, ugly humanoid ones...almost looks like the third Angel, even. Anyway, Hyuga, inform Amu--I mean, Captain Amuro Ray in the Mont Blanc that I'm reque--*giving* special orders to fend off the Angel as much as the Kalaba--err, the AEUG can.  
  
Makoto: Yes, ma'am... /Mont Blanc, do you read me? This is Nerv HQ--/  
  
Makoto, Maya, and Shigeru: (thinks) "Amuro"? My God, she really *is* dating him! I didn't know she had this knack for younger guys...Captain Amuro Ray's around 22 or 23 years old only, while Captain Katsuragi's 29...oh dear...  
  
Misato: (thinks) Whew! Almost blew my cover...  
  
-----  
  
The Angel really did barely look like the third one, although this time it looked like that hunchback in the old French tale. It even had this weird "yin-yang" symbol on its chest and definitely looked like it was headed towards the point within Tokyo directly above Nerv Headquarters as if it knew. And just from behind the mountains, the Mont Blanc emerged and headed towards it with moderate speed.   
  
A few seconds later, two Rick Diases, green and blue, launched from the Mont Blanc's makeshift mobile suit launch pad and took their respective positions along with their five GM-II companions and three aerial support craft. They, along with Chris, waited for Amuro's order to fire at will towards the Angel's direction at least until the Eva's come out.  
  
Amuro: /This guy sure looks like a slow one, Christina. Why don't we go on over to the beach and fire at it directly? The Mont Blanc should be able to help as well as we've had its armor and weaponry reinforced anyway./  
  
Chris: /Roger, sempai! All troops, assemble at the beach immediately and take your positions there. You will not be advised to fire at will when you do get there, just go ahead and do it as hard as you can. Get to it, NOW!/  
  
As soon as Chris and Amuro heard the obligatory "Ma'am, yes ma'am!" on their audio communications link with their companions, the two Kalaba...or as one would like to point out with their current position, *AEUG* officers soon followed their underlings and took up sniping positions from the beach. The Mont Blanc also recognized this and followed soon after, taking its position hovering over somewhere near the beach and fired its new main mega beam particle cannons at the Angel.   
  
All had hoped to break its A.T. field at least until the Evangelions arrived, yet again to no avail, except maybe for some instances that Amuro's and Chris' beam gun and bazooka attacks would penetrate the A.T. field. Chris was almost too pissed off as the Angel just regenerated whenever she would strike a hit at the Angel.  
  
Chris: (angrily) /This guy's *tough*, sempai.../  
  
Amuro: /Well, what do you expect? It's some kind of alien life form or whatever.../  
  
Chris: /Yeah, but I never expected it to be like this! Damn it, if this keeps up I'm gonna lose ammo fast! Where are those kids in the Evangelions anyway?/  
  
Amuro: /I'm sure they'll be here any time now, Christina, just be patient, all right? Patience never really was a virtue with you, eh Christina?/  
  
Chris: /Aww, sempai! Save the insults for later, we've got work to do here!/  
  
Amuro almost chuckled as he continued to fire at the Angel along with Chris and the rest of his available troops lent to him by his AEUG superior officer, with Amuro and Chris eventually getting through the Angel's A.T. field thanks to Nerv's help in upgrading their weaponry and Chris' impatience. Amuro wondered why Chris was so...cranky today; last she'd seen her this morning, she was spouting curses on her cellular phone. He was also wondering who was the unlucky person whom she got really pissed off at. He refused to think it was Chris' former Zeon fiancé Bernie because from what he'd seen of the lucky couple, they were so sweet and happy together...just like himself and Misa--no. Misato's already have that "ex-boyfriend" of hers hanging around her trying to win her back anyway. Sayla? He would not even want to go down that road again. Lalah? No, not even Lalah...she was Char's...Char's...what was Char to Lalah anyway? He would never know.  
  
Amuro's Newtype premonition failed him this time as he never expected Chris to charge at the Angel and shoot at it at point blank range or fight with it in a melee sort of way--that didn't really look good for Chris, Amuro thought, as he remembered the last time he'd fought one of these "Angels" with a beam saber...  
  
...and it happened to Chris as well as he saw her blue Rick Dias' head "planted" to the beach water like it was a rice stem in a paddy. And just then, as if by cue, two familiar Evangelions, red and violet, advance to where he and the rest of his troops were.  
  
Amuro: /Heh...Shinji, isn't this becoming quite the trend? What kept you kids again?/  
  
Shinji: (a little sheepishly) /Well...umm...you see.../  
  
Asuka: /Amuro-san, if it weren't for this slowpoke here slacking around like he had all the time in the world, we would have been here earlier! Rrrrghh, why do you *always* do this to me, Shinji?!/  
  
Shinji: /Aww, shut *up*, Asuka! Who was it who had to go to the ladies room first, huh? Well, I had to let you do it because it's something I'd want you to let me do if *I* had to go to the little guy's room, duh!/  
  
Amuro: /All right, knock it off, you two! Shinji, Asuka, you see that thing over there? That ugly thing you guys at Nerv call an "Angel"? Yeah, I believe that's the thing your commanding officer wanted you two to squash because from what I've heard, your Eva's are the only ones that can neutralize these Angels' "A.T. fields" or whatever barrier this thing might have, right?/  
  
Asuka: /Umm, I think you've got it right on the dot, sir!/  
  
Amuro: /Well now, go get them!/  
  
---  
  
Misato rubbed her chin and squinted. Usually when she does this, she'd just noticed something fishy when one, two, or all of the three Children were fighting an Angel on its way to Nerv HQ. She pointed her pen towards the Angel's image in the large monitor inside the Nerv control room and gathered all of the right words to say.   
  
Misato: Is it just me, Lieutenant Hyuga...or does that Angel have two cores...?  
  
Makoto: Two cores, ma'am? Let me get a visual on that one... (magnifies the image on his own monitor) I'm not quite sure, but it seems that it does, Captain. What could it mean?  
  
The 29-year old captain paused and observed the Angel very, VERY carefully. Indeed, what *could* it mean if this particular Angel had two cores? She had wished her commander would give so much as a simple explanation about this, but knowing Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari, he'd only keep silent and give her that connotative stare that "all information will be given on a need-to-know basis". She was thinking it strange, however, that Commander Ikari wasn't on his usual seat way behind her on an elevated platform, but instead Subcommander Fuyutsuki was there, standing, and watched as all of the following events were about to unfold.  
  
---  
  
Asuka eyed the Angel carefully and smirked. She had just thought this one would be such a pushover that she wouldn't even need Shinji's help on this one, so she thought of what Misato meant when she said "she and Shinji will take turns in attacking the target".  
  
Misato: /I know you two can do it this time, Asuka. Just do the best you can. That mobile suit platoon will back you up just in case you'll both need help, all right?/  
  
Asuka: (grins at Misato's image on the intercom) Okay, sure thing, Misato!  
  
Shinji: (whispers to himself) Oh, great...personality #2!  
  
Asuka: /I *heard* that./ (stares at Shinji on the visual link)  
  
Shinji: (gulps) Uh...  
  
The pilot of Evangelion Unit-02 thought it best if she'd charged at the Angel with a large glaive-like weapon as she would normally do, with Shinji acting as backup, sniping at the Angel from the beach with a "pallet rifle". The rest of his Kalaba/AEUG companions were already shooting at it with the best and last they've got--beam rifles, beam guns, bazookas, it didn't matter. But then, all they can do is watch their efforts go to waste as the Angel's A.T. field, its natural defense or barrier of some sort, proved more than effective in defending itself without a fight. Amuro, however had already given orders to any available unit to retrieve Chris' fallen Rick Dias, whose pilot, he had already known to have been feeling humiliated by this "Angel".  
  
True to its cold, emotionless, but not totally lifeless nature, the Angel kept its pace towards its itinerary: the point in Tokyo directly above Nerv Headquarters, and it kept its pace as if it knew where it was headed even without anything that would pass for its "eyes".   
  
Asuka didn't care about all of that, though, and went on her way to defeat the Angel "all by herself", living up to her reputation as the "greatest Evangelion pilot ever born".   
  
Shinji: /Here it comes!/  
  
Asuka: /Heh, *I'll* go first! Better back me up, idiot!/  
  
But before the crimson Evangelion Unit-02 even made the first step to leap through the air to slash down through the Angel's defenses with its glaive, her jaw just dropped as she heard Amuro's sudden order to ram the Mont Blanc into the Angel as a last resort.  
  
Amuro: /We just might make the beam ram work against this Angel, Captain Amada. Let the energy flow intended for the main and sub-beam particle cannons get into the I-field generator and press all of the necessary buttons and pull the necessary levers I've told you about when we've had a briefing last time. The Mont Blanc's I-field barrier should form some sort of a beam saber-like "stake" soon enough. The beam ram's energy input should be enough to penetrate through the A.T. field and totally exterminate the Angel, is that understood, Captain?/  
  
Shiro Amada, the Mont Blanc's 31 year-old captain from the Kalaba/AEUG and one of the former mobile suit ace pilots from the Federation's "eighth" ground combat mobile suit team in the One-Year War, grinned as he recognized his superior officer's voice on the comm link. It really was a long time since he'd engaged in battles he'd gladly fight in, but he'd never guessed this one, reminiscent of the late Garma Zabi's kamikaze attack, ramming his Gau flagship into the Pegasus White Base (alternatively called the Trojan Horse), would make him a bit nervous. This *was* the first time he'd ever been a captain of any support battlecruiser *and* the first time he'd ever been under none other than Amuro Ray's command, who was in fact younger than Shiro himself.  
  
Shiro: (gulps) /Roger, Captain!/ Redirect energy flow from the--  
  
Asuka: /W...what?! With all due respect, Amuro-san...but...but are you *nuts*?! You'll be killing your own men in that ship!/  
  
Shinji: /Amuro-san, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you're not exactly wanting to use that Angel as some kind of a guinea pig to test this...this "beam ram" thing you've made, are you?/  
  
Amuro: /Shinji, Asuka, this whole thing *will* work, I'm sure of it. We've reinforced the Mont Blanc's armor to the point that it will withstand the impact caused by the ship's collision with its target. Trust me and your superiors at Nerv, children./  
  
Asuka: /Amuro-san, this is no time to be your old "Newtype genius" self again! Aaargh, I'm going after the Angel myself! Watch me, Shinji! Here I GOOOOOOO!!!!/ (charges toward the Angel with her glaive held up high)  
  
Shinji: /Asuka, wait for me!/ (deploys his Eva-01's progressive knife and charges at the Angel, following Asuka's lead)  
  
And just as the Third and Second Children were about to go berserk on the Angel, the Mont Blanc had already accelerated towards it at full speed, on its bowsprit some kind of a stunted, glowing, pinkish beam saber-like structure shaped like a wooden stake. Their still-unharnessed and unknown Newtype senses kicking in at unison, the pilots of Eva Unit-01 and 02 mentally ordered their Evangelions to narrowly dodge the hastily descending AEUG support ship and just watch at the events that will happen soon after.  
  
The crew of the Mont Blanc were on the edge of their seats in anticipation and fear that the Mont Blanc should explode after this attack, but were soon feeling relieved as they had found out they were back in the air after confirmation reports from the bridge that everything was fine.   
  
Bridge operator A: Sir, it seems that only the lower sections in the bow side and starboard were damaged, but they didn't seem to have been inflicted even the slightest amount of recognizable damage, sir!  
  
Shiro: Thank goodness! Have maintenance check to see if there are any injured people within those sections, A.S.A.P., and bring them to the ship's clinic if there are any.  
  
Shinji and Asuka couldn't believe what they've seen; the Mont Blanc actually pierced through the Angel's A.T. field and burnt a hole through the Angel so big that it wasn't even a hole anymore after the Mont Blanc had gotten back to the air. The Angel looked more like it was split in half; a feat Asuka had done had it not been for Amuro-san's interference. But Asuka had to admit, it *was* quite a good job.  
  
Misato and the three control room operators silently watched in awe as these events had unfolded: they've just defeated the Angel *without* using the Eva's, and what's more surprising, it was one of her ideas, too! Well, almost. Misato looked back at Subcommander Fuyutsuki, but wondered why his facial expression still looked the same in all of this...it was as if he knew something she didn't.  
  
Misato: Uhh...A...Th, that's...THAT'S AMAZING! Subcommander, did you see that?! The Mont Blanc just went through the Angel JUST LIKE THAT!  
  
Fuyutsuki: Of course I saw *that*, Captain Katsuragi. Quite a remarkable feat for the Kalaba...although I wouldn't really bet on the Angel being totally defeated yet. I've noticed something quite strange with this particular Angel we have here...  
  
Misato: You've noticed it too, sir?  
  
Fuyutsuki: I couldn't really lay my finger into it, but--  
  
Maya: Captain Katsuragi, we're detecting *two* high-energy readings from the Angel's remains! It...*they* seem to be regenerating themselves!  
  
Misato: "They"?! What do you mean...?!  
  
And Misato saw it all on the monitor: the Angel was indeed regenerating itself, but not quite the way she had expected. Instead, just like and earthworm, the Angel slowly replicated its two halves and finally took its--their--true form.  
  
---  
  
Misato: /Shinji, Asuka, the Angel's still moving!/  
  
Shinji and Asuka: /Huh?/  
  
Amuro: /Heads up, you two! They're right behind you!!/  
  
This time, however, the two Children almost failed to sense the impending danger that's about to befall the both of them. As soon as the Angel had replicated itself into two separate beings, it--they--walked towards the two Eva's. Ready as they were, Shinji and Asuka took on defensive stances as the two halves of the Angel advanced toward them.   
  
Asuka made an upward slash with her glaive across one half of the Angel's "chest" to which the Angel reacted by just simply regenerating itself. Shinji, armed with only a progressive knife, was having the same problem with the other half as well as it kept regenerating what it had lost.  
  
Asuka: /What the hell is this thing? NO FAIR!/  
  
Shinji: /ARGH, they just keep regenerating their limbs like it was NOTHING! What's WITH these guys?!/  
  
Misato: /Asuka, aim for the core, quick! You too, Shinji!/  
  
Asuka and Shinji: /We know--!!/  
  
And just as they had done so, the cores of the two halves of the Angel just simply healed themselves like it was nothing to them. Soon enough, the halves took their two Evangelion opponents by their feet, spun them around like a cowboy's rope in a rodeo show, and hurled them towards each other...all in perfect synchronization with each other. And as if it weren't enough, the Angel (or Angels, whatever was befitting of the situation) picked the purple and the red Evangelions and hurled them towards Amuro and his troops.   
  
Amuro: /Oh, SHIT! All GM-II's get out of shore, quick!/ These things have tempers, too?! God DAMN it!  
  
Meanwhile, back in Nerv Headquarters, Misato felt like she was going to have a real big headache coming on and rubbed her temples while chanting, "Keep your cool, Misato, keep your cool..."  
  
Fuyutsuki just shook his head. This was going to be quite a long day ahead of them.  
  
-----  
  
Voice-over: /At 4:03 PM, Nerv gave up the right of command which was transferred to the remaining JSSDF mobile suit troops not supervised by Captain Amuro Ray of the Kalaba./  
  
There was some sort of an air of chagrin etched on the faces of the two Children and their commanding officer involved with the situation with the Angel--or its halves thereof--as their supervising officers watched this little slideshow inside the movie hall somewhere inside Nerv HQ. Misato was particularly worried as to what fate will befall her as to the failure of this mission...well, at least it wasn't a total failure anyway. Shinji and Asuka, however, couldn't really say anything about it.  
  
Voice-over: /At 4:05, the target is attacked with a new N2 bomb.../  
  
The silver screen showed a picture of some aerial units (they were uncertain if these were Federation, Kalaba, or AEUG units) bombing the Angel, and the massive explosion that resulted. This slideshow was getting to be very annoying, at least in the Subcommander's case.  
  
Fuyutsuki: (sighs and shakes his head) This is no good, Captain Katsuragi. Looks like we're back to square one on this kind of situation...  
  
Voice-over: /...resulting in a 20% incineration of the target./  
  
Misato: I know, sir, and I'm sorry...  
  
Asuka: (turns around to face Fuyutsuki) So umm...they're dead, sir?  
  
Fuyutsuki: No, it only immobilized them. Their healing systems are no doubt at work...well, what do you two children have to say for yourselves now? All this bickering and fighting...I've heard it all on the intercom and the reports that pass through my hands before I give them to Commander Ikari. Do you two kids know what your jobs are?  
  
Shinji: Umm...  
  
Asuka: Er...t-to pilot Eva...?  
  
Fuyutsuki: Wrong answer. You two, and the First, are here to defeat the Angels. You two sure are lucky the Commander isn't here, or else he would have done something worse than I'm doing right now. In any case, Nerv doesn't need this sort of negative attention, do you understand, Children? Captain Katsuragi...  
  
Misato: Y-Yes sir?  
  
Fuyutsuki: I expect you to make sorties within the next amount of time before the Angel's two halves fully regenerate. And see to it that the Second and Third Children are taught a lesson in TEAM ETHICS, is that understood?  
  
Misato: Y...yes sir!  
  
Misato couldn't say anything more as he saw her superior officer leave the room with quite an unpleasant mood in all of this. She just sighed as she slumped back to her chair and once again rubbed her temples.  
  
Kaji: Boy...you sure got a lot of *work* ahead of you, I'd bet...  
  
Ritsuko: (snickers) Ohhhh yeah, she does...  
  
Misato: Would you two just please shut up? I'm trying to think here... (turns towards Asuka and Shinji) As for you two...I'll see you in my office later, okay? Just please get out of this movie hall for now...I think I may have another one of those headaches coming...  
  
Shinji: (whispers) You sure she doesn't have another one of those hangovers?  
  
Asuka: (whispers) Naaah! She looked pretty sober this morning...  
  
Misato: I heard that, you two.  
  
Shinji and Asuka: (gulps) Umm...yes ma'am, we'll be going out now, ma'am! Eh heh heh heh heh heh...  
  
-----  
  
Shinji: OWWWW!! Damn it, Asuka! Alone for two seconds and you ambush me!  
  
The Third Child just had his foot stepped upon by a *very* P.O.'ed redheaded 14 year-old German-Japanese chick. Hard.  
  
Asuka: SHUT UP! Why did *I* have to get yelled at by the Subcommander?! I was real lucky it wasn't the Commander himself yelling at me, but still...RRRRRGGGGHHH!!! My first battle in Japan was ruined because of *you*!  
  
Shinji: Why is it *my* fault now?!  
  
Asuka: It's obvious. *You* got caught by the Angel because *you* were a slowpoke. (pokes Shinji's shoulder repeatedly)  
  
Shinji: And you weren't?! Geez-Louise, here we go again...  
  
Asuka: NO. *I* couldn't concentrate because *you* got caught...and not only does the Subcommander yell at *me*, but first looks at me with such contempt! (stomps her foot repeatedly and forcibly on the floor) Argh! Damn it, Shinji!  
  
Shinji: (raises and eyebrow and shrugs) Oh, *please*! Don't tell me *I'm* to be blamed here *again*, Asuka! As much as I'd hate to admit it, but it was Amuro-san's hair-brained idea of ramming the Mont Blanc into the Angel in the first place that got you--  
  
Amuro: (walks up from behind Shinji and put his hands on the boy's shoulders) Well so *sorry* if my ideas are hair-brained to you now, Shinji. All I did was help you guys because you two were arguing all the time...  
  
Shinji (gasps) A--Amuro-san! Good Lord, I didn't notice you were there! W-w-w-uhh...I'm sorry if I called your ideas like that...  
  
Asuka: Hmph! In any case, *I* would have defeated the Angel if it hadn't been for *your* stupidity, Shinji! (pouts and clings to Amuro's arm) Amuro-san, he's always picking on me, make him stop!  
  
Shinji: *My* stupidity?! Heh, even if Amuro-san wouldn't have been around, your sorry ass would still have been kicked because, reading your actions for today, *you* were getting too hasty about defeating those two halves. Geez...  
  
Asuka: WHAT DID YOU SAY?! (starts stomping towards Shinji)  
  
Amuro: (separates them) Don't you two ever stop bickering like schoolgirls?! Knock it off, you two, or else I'll--  
  
Shinji: Ooh, I'm scared, Asuka. Whatcha gonna do to me now, huh?  
  
Asuka: I am going to KILL you, Shinji Ikari! Amuro-san, let me at him...!  
  
While Amuro could barely keep the two Children away from making complete idiots of themselves, the hands of someone very familiar to Asuka would soon calm her down. Those gentle, big hands of whose owner she'd "loved" for a very long time.  
  
Kaji: Hey! Squabbling at a time like this?  
  
Asuka: (turns around and lightens up) Kaji-san! Tee-hee... (clings to his arm) We weren't squabbling. Shinji was just picking on me, see? Nyaaah! (sticks out her tongue at Shinji)  
  
Shinji: (thinks and sighs) Oh, great. Once again, her amazing quick-change...  
  
Kaji: Oh, and you're with Captain Amuro Ray too! How convenient...Amuro-kun, they seem to be very lively kids, aren't they?  
  
Amuro: Uh...heh heh, they sure are! Oh, I don't believe we've met... (offers a handshake) I believe you're Ryouji Kaji, one of the representatives for AEUG's financiers?  
  
Kaji: (shakes Amuro's hand) Ah ha ha ha ha ha, yes, yes, that's me. And from the looks of it I don't think you need an introduction, heh heh. Hmm, Amuro Ray of the Pegasus White Base, how great it is for someone of your caliber to assist Nerv in its campaign against the Angels!  
  
Amuro: Umm, actually we haven't been doing well lately...eh heh heh heh heh...what with our weaponry actually proving ineffective against an Angel's A.T. field, you know?  
  
Kaji: Oh, no, no! You're doing quite well, sir! Well, unlike other Earthnoids I do believe in Newtypes and what they could do...in the military view of things of course. Heh heh. But then psychic communication among Newtypes in far distances is quite the concept, huh?  
  
Amuro: Yeah...it *is* quite the concept... (thinks) Lalah...  
  
Kaji: (looks at Amuro slightly) Mmmhmm! Well, so much for that, why don't I treat you all to dinner? Oh, Captain, you don't have to pay, it's on the house! Heh heh heh heh!  
  
Amuro: Oh! Umm...thanks, I guess...but you didn't have to...  
  
Asuka: Yay! Really! I'd *love* to go out with you!  
  
Shinji: Say, Kaji-san...what about Misato? Isn't she going out with us or something?  
  
Amuro: Yes...what about Captain Katsuragi?  
  
Kaji: (blinks at Amuro) Naah, I'd doubt she'd get any supper for tonight. Being in-charge sometimes means taking the heat, if you know what I mean.  
  
---  
  
And so Misato had a hard time picking her jaw from off the floor as she viewed the ton of paperwork she had to do. She was quite silent for a moment until Ritsuko gave her a small envelope to top everything off.  
  
Ritsuko: Hmm, well, that's it! Damage reports and protests from each pertaining ministry. *And* here's the bill from the Feddies. (giggles)  
  
Misato: (looks at Ritsuko sourly and throws the envelope to her desk) How's the Eva repair going?  
  
Ritsuko: Five days in the shop, tops.  
  
Misato: (leans back on her chair) And the Angels?  
  
Ritsuko: Regenerating. MAGI predicts a new attack five days from now.  
  
Misato: So both sides are out of action for that time...  
  
Ritsuko: (drinks her coffee) Commander Ikari wasn't happy when he heard and seen it all on the slideshow. You'll probably get fired the next time you fail.  
  
Misato: Hey! Don't talk like that!  
  
Ritsuko: Well... (takes out a diskette from her lab coat pocket) A *really* bright idea might help keep your job...say, this one?  
  
Misato: Ooh! (swipes the diskette away from Ritsuko looking really joyous) An idea?! For me! Oh, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, you're amazing!  
  
Ritsuko: Oh...au contraire, mademoiselle...it wasn't *my* idea. (snickers)  
  
Misato: (blinks) Huh? Then whose was it?  
  
Ritsuko: Kaji.  
  
And so once again, Misato had a hard time picking her jaw from off the floor as she had heard that the perpetrator of the said "brilliant" idea was none other than that...that...that idiot even put a "to my honey" label on the diskette! The nerve of that jerk, Misato thought.  
  
Misato: I don't want it. (shoves the diskette away)  
  
Ritsuko: Oh, so you'd rather get fired? (giggles)  
  
---  
  
Asuka: You understand, don't you, Kaji-san, Amuro-san...that *that* truly didn't represent my *real* abilities? (sips at her soda) Of course, I don't know about Shinji here...  
  
Shinji: (plays at his spaghetti with a fork) Yeah, yeah. I have NO talent.  
  
Amuro: Oh, come on, you two. Don't give up so easily--it's like you're saying you're giving up on a handful of GM's while you've got...what, let's say a whole army of Gelgoogs?  
  
Asuka: (pouts) Aww...but Gelgoogs are *way* outdated already, Amuro-san...this is 0087, for crying out loud!  
  
Kaji: Asuka, Shinji...Gelgoogs and GM's aren't his point here...what he's trying to tell you is that you shouldn't give up so easily over such meager obstacles, I know you two are better than that!  
  
Amuro: Yeah. Well, you two have to try harder next time, all right? (pats Shinji's back) This, I know, for one thing...spacenoids are made of sterner stuff than that, am I right?  
  
Shinji: I...guess so...  
  
Asuka: Aww, but with the Eva's broken, who knows when we'll *get* a next time?  
  
As if by cue, just then Misato's familiar voice over the PA system echoed across the canteen and the rest of Nerv Headquarters.   
  
Misato: /Would the pilots for Eva Unit-01 and 02 please report to the second conference room at once. Repeat, would the pilots for Eva-01 and 02--/  
  
Kaji: See? You're wanted already. Good luck you two!  
  
Asuka: Hmm...sounds like Misato needs us now, eh Shinji? Let's go--oh, and this time don't *you* screw up, all right?! (drags Shinji by the ear)  
  
Shinji: Oww, damn it! Let go of my ear! Why don't *you* ease up on the screw-ups for a change, eh Asuka? It's always me, me, ME! WHY ME?!?  
  
Kaji almost chuckled as he saw what he sees as a "cute couple" walk away from him and the revered "hero of the One-Year War". He stirred at his soda and ate the last of his pie as Amuro finished his own meal.  
  
Amuro: Do you think they'd make it good? I'd think so...sensed it from the very first time I saw them, they're Newtypes as well... (sighs) Love between Newtypes is quite a very beautiful thing...  
  
Kaji: Probably like soulmates, huh? Maybe...have you ever been in love with a Newtype like you before?  
  
Amuro: Yeah...quite a tragic ending, I might say...  
  
Kaji: *Ahem*...hmm...well if that's the case then I won't ask about it, eh Captain? Last thing I'd want to hear from you is a sad ending from a past lovelife...well, then. Hmm...who's that lovely redhead who's with you a lot lately these days?  
  
Amuro: Oh...you mean Chief Petty Officer Chris MacKenzie?  
  
Kaji: (blinks) "Chris"? Isn't that a guy's name? Oh no, wait...I get it. I'd bet her name's Christina or Christine or something...  
  
Amuro: Yeah, it's Christina. Well if you're thinking she's my girlfriend, well, I'll tell you now that she's not. Why, you're interested in her, Kaji-kun?  
  
Kaji: Uhhh...heh heh heh heh. Well, we're men, aren't we? Of course you'd know how a guy goes like when he sees a really cute girl...  
  
Chris: Well so sorry to tell you, Mister, but this cute girl's got a fiancé now. Eh heh heh heh. (grins and sits beside Amuro) Hey, Amuro-sempai.  
  
Amuro: Hey, Chris. See? Hey, is your head all right? It's practically wrapped up in bandages, you know...  
  
Chris: Umm, it's fine, I guess...that monster sure did a good number on me, huh?  
  
Kaji: Hmmm...well, I guess that's good too. (offers a handshake to Chris) And how do you do, my lady? By the way, my name's Ryouji Kaji and I'm with Nerv, though I also represent a lot of business firms and supporters for the AEUG and the Kalaba. And who's the lucky chap who's to be your husband, hmm?  
  
Chris: (shakes Kaji's hand) I'm quite fine, thanks! (rubs her head) Well, except for this bump on my head, that is. Tee-hee, well, don't be surprised, but my fiancé happens to be a former Zeon mobile suit pilot named Bernard Wiseman, and he's in Dublin right now. I call him Bernie for short. (giggles) You know, he's the most sweetest guy I've ever met...   
  
Kaji: Ireland? And the lucky guy used to be one of those Zeeks--I mean, Zeon too, huh? Heh heh, I'm sure he is...I can see you blushing at the mention of his name. Well, all I can say is good luck on your wedding, Officer Chris Mackenzie. Well...how about you, Amuro? Do you have any lovelife stories you can share us? (thinks) Hmm...now this way I can see if what I've been hearing about you and Misato is true...  
  
Amuro: (gulps) Umm...  
  
Chris: Hey, haven't you been hanging around that nice-looking girl with the red jacket who works for Nerv too? (nudges Amuro) Hey sempai, I didn't know you had good taste for girls, huh? And I've always thought that bitch from Cheyenne...her name was "Beltochika Irma", wasn't it? Well I thought that bitch was always on your mind...  
  
Amuro: (chuckles and wipes off his sweat) Chris, is it okay if you call Beltochika a bitch? Besides, she might hear you...  
  
Chris: (pouts) Well she sure *is* one hell of a bitch! I mean, she even yelled at me when we were retrieving you from Cheyenne and all...she's very unlike that nice Japanese Nerv girl in the red jacket and beret, don't you agree? Man, talk about POSSESSIVE! Mr. Kaji, did you know one time--  
  
Kaji: (rubs his chin and looks weirdly at Amuro) Uh-huh...  
  
Amuro: (puts a hand on Chris' mouth) Uhhh...I think she's just concerned, that's all...after all you shouldn't be calling her a bitch because she *is* one of the AEUG's representatives to the Kalaba...  
  
Chris: (takes off Amuro's hand) Oh yeah, and that's not all...there's also this nice-looking Chinese girl whom I believe was a mechanic and one of Anaheim Electronics' top engineers...her name was umm...Chien Agi, right sempai? Hey what are you doing--  
  
Amuro: Umm... (takes Chris' arm and grins at Kaji) Would you excuse us for a while, Kaji-san?  
  
Kaji: (nods and grins stupidly) Ummm...sure, sure! Take all the time you need...  
  
Ryouji Kaji could barely hear Amuro's and Chris' whispers of argument from the other side of the room and thought about what his "newfound friends" dealt about with their daily lives. He never guessed that people who used to be from the Federal Forces could be so...wacky, to say the least. Much more with Amuro Ray, of all people! He thought, is *this* really the guy who's been seeing his ex, Misato? He just couldn't believe it and just laughed as he drank the last of his soda from a plastic cup.  
  
---  
  
At the very same time when Chris arrived at the two men's table, Shinji and Asuka were, as usual, arguing and bickering about something once again, as they headed for Misato's office. More like *discussing*--for now, at least.  
  
Shinji: But the Eva's are still inoperable! What could they want us to do this time?  
  
Asuka: Hmph. It doesn't really matter, anyway...but how could you be so inconsiderate, Shinji Ikari-kun?  
  
Shinji: (blinks) "Inconsiderate?" What do you mean?   
  
Asuka: (turns back at Shinji and flails) Kaji-san asked *me* out to dinner, but I couldn't be alone with him! Why did *you* have to tag along?! Argh!  
  
Shinji: Huh?! B--but...  
  
And just then as they were yet again starting to argue while walking down that hall to meet up with Misato, the Nerv commanding officer in question greeted the two Children as they rounded the corner almost as if Misato had "popped up out of nowhere", figuratively speaking.  
  
Misato: Hmm, just the people I was looking for. Shinji, Asuka...this way please.  
  
Shinji: (starts walking along with Asuka and Misato) Where are we going, Misato-san?  
  
Misato: We are going to prepare for our next operation, Shinji. Just follow me, okay? (tries not to snicker)  
  
Shinji and Asuka: Our next operation?  
  
Misato: Our computer simulations have revealed that the *halves* of the seventh Angel are operating in perfect tandem. This means, even if they're divided, it acts with *one* mind. So, the only way to defeat the seventh Angel is to attack both sides AT ONCE. It will take *perfect* timing from *both* Eva's. We will need complete harmony between the two of you...or the mission's a failure.  
  
It was around ten minutes that Misato had taken the two Children around Nerv HQ. At long last, they finally come to their destination, in front of a room unfamiliar to both Shinji and Asuka. Misato pressed some buttons to open the sliding door to the room and showed them inside.  
  
Misato: Well, here we are. Come on in.  
  
Asuka: Wh...what is this?  
  
Shinji: This looks like a regular twin-bed room...pretty cozy, I might add...  
  
Asuka: Yeah...even has its own stereo, DVD player...and big-screen TV too...oh, look, there's the fridge...  
  
Misato: (smiles) Mmmhmm! Welcome to your new quarters! You'll be living here for the next five days.  
  
Silence.  
  
Then...  
  
Shinji and Asuka: *WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!!*  
  
Misato: We don't have much time... (grins at them) ...and I *won't* take no for an answer. Tee-hee. (snickers uncontrollably)  
  
Asuka: Y-Y-Y-Y-You've got to be kidding! Live together for five days?! We're of the opposite sex!  
  
Shinji: Misato-san, what are you thinking?!  
  
Misato: (stops snickering and looks at them innocently, grinning) What are you so upset about? This is an operational necessity! You two must be in perfect harmony! Training all day together isn't enough, we need to synchronize your biological rhythms as well. So...you're going to sleep together, get up together, eat together, and train together--that's all. What's the big deal? I mean, you two *are* childhood friends, I'd think you two should be *excited* of the idea instead of being so negative about it...  
  
Asuka: Well...yeah, we do know each other ever since we were kids...b...but... (points at Shinji) W-What if this...this...what if Shinji gets *horny* and attacks me in the middle of the night?!  
  
Shinji: ...!!  
  
Misato: Oh...*that's* okay! Heh heh... (pats Asuka's shoulders and grins) He wouldn't have the *guts*.   
  
Asuka: ..... (looks sourly at Shinji)  
  
Shinji: (cringes and thinks) And if I did...she'd KILL me!  
  
Misato: Oh well! I'm sure you have everything here that you'll need, but if there's something I missed, call me over the intercom. Wake-up call is at 6:30 AM. G'night, kiddies!  
  
The two Children could have sworn Misato left their room with a skip and a giggle. But then, they couldn't have sworn anything like *this* should happen to them...well, at least in Asuka's case.  
  
Asuka: Oh no....reality has become a nightmare! Beating the Angel *can't* be worth it...AAAARRRGGHHH! (throws herself on her bed and slams her hand on it repeatedly) If only I could be cooped up with Kaji-san...but *Shinji*?!  
  
Shinji: Umm...say...can I use the shower first? I...think I may have the need to cool off for a sec...  
  
Asuka: (rises up and rushes to the bathroom) *NO*. Haven't you heard of chivalry?! *Ladies* first! *I* go before you, IDIOT! Hmph! (turns around and gives him a cold stare) One thing, Shinji...*no* peeking like you did seven years ago, GOT THAT?!  
  
Shinji: ...I know. (whispers) It's hardly worth risking my life.  
  
Asuka: HEY! What was THAT supposed to mean?!  
  
Shinji: Just take a shower already, okay?! (thinks) S...Super-hearing!  
  
Asuka: HMPH! (slams the bathroom door shut)  
  
Shinji: (sighs and lies down on his bed) I see *many* problems ahead...oh well. Man...I'd *never* thought I'd have to do something like this at Nerv! But...I guess it's better that this is with *Sohryu*. If this was with *Ayanami*... (sighs) That would be really awkward. Ayanami would probably be fine with it, but...I'd be desperately trying to strike up a conversation...  
  
A few minutes later, Shinji hears the bathroom door open from behind him, and of course, he'd expect Asuka to come out. But there was just *something* wrong with her voice tonight...it was almost as if it was...  
  
Asuka: (seductively) Oh, Shinji...sorry to keep you waiting! I'm all freshened up! (giggles and winks at him)  
  
And there she was: Shinji's uber-pretty redhead childhood friend, wearing nothing but that towel wrapped around her and walking as slowly and as temptingly towards him as she can. She'd even added that customary sway of the hips to make Shinji's face look more embarrassingly red than it already is. But still...she *was* quite a thing of beauty...for a 14-year-old.  
  
Shinji: (blushes) Oh, SHIT! Why the hell aren't you dressed?! And after you told me not to peek and all?!  
  
Asuka: (giggles) What do you think of my body, hmmm? (pouts) Hmph. It hurts my pride that you're *so* uninterested, Shinji. Hmmm... (crawls towards him) You know...my breasts have come in nicely. How about it? Wanna see the real thing?   
  
Shinji: S-S-S-S-Stop it! Don't take it off!  
  
But the Second Child *did* take it all off, with much of Asuka's trademark wily finesse even. And as Shinji was about to turn away from his impromptu viewing of Asuka's female anatomy...to his surprise, the Second Child was to be seen wearing a sleeveless, strapless shirt (that, in fact, still showed some of her cleavage) and *really* short shorts. Once again, Shinji was frozen stiff.  
  
Asuka: (snickers, giggles, then cackles uncontrollably, slamming her hands on the floor) WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Look at your face, stupid! You're blushing right up to your *ears*!  
  
Shinji: .....  
  
Asuka: WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I...I CAN'T BREATHE! You look awful, Shinji! Man, if I'd have to put you into a circus freak show, you'd have a lot of patrons right then and there! HAHAHAHAHA...  
  
Shinji: (sits up on his bed and crosses his arms) Let me tell you *one* thing, Asuka...it would be *just* like Misato-san to be watching us with surveillance cameras. Didn't you ever think that first before you went and did that dirty prank of yours?  
  
Asuka: (stops laughing) WHAT?! (starts frantically looking around the room) No way, where?! Where's the camera?!  
  
---  
  
Misato had quite a hard day that she didn't notice she was already sound asleep without even turning off the surveillance camera linked to Shinji's and Asuka's room.  
  
---  
  
It was already 5:00 in the morning that the Agama and the Radish had arrived in Hong Kong City, a former British colony in southern China that had gained its independence and was therefore "given back" to Chinese responsibility after a hundred years' rule back in the "old days". Bright decided it best that the two AEUG flagships should dock somewhere safe where Federation eyes couldn't see it; in this case, a big hollow cave just outside the city was the best place to hide for the moment.   
  
Standing as a proxy for her father Luo Wu-ming who was somewhere in Side 1 at the time, Stephanie Luo rendezvoused with Captain Bright Noah and Lieutenants Emma Sheen and Reccoa Londo to discuss about Luo Industry's negotiations with the AEUG and whatnot. Fa was left inside the Agama's bridge to do maintenance, gather damage reports from the last battle with the Titans, and check-ups on the said battlecruiser and the Radish as well with some help from Astonage and Henken. Camille, on the other hand, having done maintenance on the Gundam Mk-II on the night before, thought it best that he should be going out to check out some electronics shops around Hong Kong and have some free time for himself.  
  
Little did the AEUG know that there were already forward troops that the newly-established Titan base in New Guinea had assigned just outside Hong Kong; all of them inside one green Garuda-class air fortress named the "Sudry". They had landed outside of Hong Kong the day before the AEUG did and were on some sort of "stakeout". Here is what happened the night before the Agama and the Radish were in Hong Kong City:  
  
The captain of the Garuda-class air fortress Sudry, Lieutenant Commander Ben Wooder, had just received news of Braun Blutarch's death in the hands of the AEUG. He just smirked as he put the report inside his desk drawer and turned towards his subordinate, Chief Petty Officer Namica Cornell, a female Titan officer who was also the head of one of two Titan/Federation Newtype Research Institutes, the one in New Guinea called the Murasame Newtype Research Institute.  
  
Wooder: Blutarch was always one clumsy fool. Heh, I'd never be surprised if he'd died like that. But still...the killing has to stop one of these days. Anyway, what's our..."star pupil's" status, Professor Cornell?  
  
Namica: She's doing quite well, Lieutenant Commander. She still has no memory of her past life, though...as with all artificial Newtypes that the Federation has worked on in the past since 0083. She's the fourth one, I might add. Should I bring her in, sir?  
  
Wooder: Yes, please.  
  
Namica: Come on in, Four.  
  
A fairly attractive young woman with teal-colored short hair and purple lipstick and wearing a loose purplish shirt over her sleeveless black tank top and tight black pants, probably in her early twenties, entered the Sudry's main briefing room. If there was any expression on her face, one would have probably seen her as coldly unemotional...much like Rei Ayanami to one who might know Rei in the first place.  
  
Wooder: (looks inside a file folder) Hmm..."Four Murasame", is it? That's quite a peculiar name for quite a nice-looking girl, Professor Cornell. Looks like you're going to work for me from now on...Four Murasame.  
  
Four: (stares coldly at Wooder) ...I don't take orders from anyone.  
  
Namica: Hmmm...looks like she's still needing some improvement on her attitude problem, Lieutenant Commander. Would it be best if I'd run some more tests on her before we attack the AEUG?  
  
Wooder: It's good enough, Professor. Let Four do whatever she likes. In the meantime, why don't your men do some maintenance on her big "toy" outside, hmm?  
  
Namica: It's already done, sir. Judging from the time its maintenance will take, the Psyco Gundam should be ready for battle in ten hours, sir.  
  
And indeed, in a hangar just nearby the Sudry, some Titan engineers and techies were doing some inspections and technical and mechanical maintenance--more like a major overhaul--of what looked like an immensely *monstrous* ebony Gundam-type variable mobile suit of adamantine armor and unknown capabilities. One would have to wonder what kind of people *were* in the Federation and the Titans to make such a grotesque weapon of warfare.  
  
Wooder: (looks out his window and smirks) Quite a fitting weapon for such a cold-hearted individual like Four here, am I right Professor Cornell?  
  
Namica: (looks out the window) Indeed.  
  
Four: .....  
  
  
To be continued  
---  
  
Hi again. I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but you couldn't really blame me for I had a lot of things to be busy with lately (primarily college), more so because I'll be graduating from my Diplomacy major in Foreign Service in March. So you can expect slow updates from this chapter onwards. I'm very sorry, but that's life. You just get to be *too* busy sometimes with things around you, you know? I'm sure you, the reader, know that annoying feeling.  
  
I've also been busy with some other stuff in my life...but I'd rather keep it to myself rather than babble and rant all about it here. God knows if you'd also want to pry in on my private life. Leave me alone, please. But please don't leave my fanfic unread, though. You, reader, are just one of my sources of inspiration as with a lot of other things, the greatest of them all being my girlfriend in Adelaide. I'll always love you, sweetie. :)  
  
Anyway, I'll still be writing though I'll be busy with school for the next few months. Please be patient as Act 6 is going to be out soon. Again, C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE. Until then, "Believe in the sign of ZETA...beyond the hard times from now." 


	6. Dissonance Shall We Dance?

Camille was riding around some vicinity in Hong Kong that morning on a motorcycle after he had bought some electronics equipment, some take-out noodles, and anything else he would need for "his" Gundam's maintenance and some other weird electronic stuff he'd be busy with in his off days--if he had any more off days lately, that is. So the stories were true, Camille told himself, Hong Kong was still as busy as it used to be when it was still occupied by the British in the old days.   
  
He had never really gotten used to living on earth, even though it's been almost a month since he came here. It was almost like he had...less freedom like he had when he was in space. This might be what Quattro was telling him around a few weeks ago, that "one's soul was susceptible to be bound by earth's gravity" if one stayed on earth long enough, that's why Quattro was doing this. It almost reminded him of what Char Aznable would do, but in the Red Comet's case, Camille would think he would do something a little more...drastic.   
  
True, Camille hated the Titans and the whole Federation itself, but he wouldn't go as far as destroying earth altogether...just like what he thought Char would do. Oldtype or Newtype, he just didn't care--he still believed in the power of humanity.  
  
Why couldn't we all just get along? He asked himself, disgusted at the thought that in whatever time period, whether it be the "old days" or present times, there are still bigots running around spreading hate among humankind.  
  
He thought it best that he should head back to the Agama as soon as possible before anyone suspicious (like that "asshole" Jerid Mesa) spots him and hits on him on the spot. He didn't really have anything to defend himself with at the time being anyway other than a measly monkey wrench he happened to take along.   
  
Soon enough, as he was heading back to where the Agama was "parked" for the time being away from Titan eyes, some...thing ran across his mind, like some sudden spark of light flashing before his eyes. He immediately knew there was something...someONE very close by, and he'd reckon it was some kind of a...massive, powerful force--a feeling similar to that of the pressure getting into one's ears when inside an aircraft in high altitudes--similar to that when he had met Quattro for the first time. But then, maybe not, as the Newtype-like feeling was...very, very different from that of Lieutenant Quattro or even that of Amuro Ray. Very different indeed, Camille had muttered under his breath as he shook his head and scooted his motorbike off to where the Agama was.  
  
Camille: (thinks) There's...something very bad that's going to happen, anytime soon. I just *know* it...  
  
********************  
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover  
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)  
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.  
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.  
All rights reserved.  
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments. I'm serious, folks.  
********************  
  
[Act 6]  
  
Episode 11, "Dissonance"  
-------------------  
  
This has just got to be the weirdest morning in the lives of the two Children assigned to pilot their respective Evangelions. Both of their arms crossed, Shinji and Asuka both STARED at Misato for making them wear such...humiliating get-ups as...  
  
Asuka: (raises her eyebrow) A "dance"...?  
  
Shinji: Misato, why the hell are we dressed up in these stupid leotards? And we're going to DANCE in them too?  
  
Asuka: Heh, and I've thought you had the most *distinguished* fashion sense since you're older than us...you could have at least bought us some tuxes or something...  
  
The two Children's commanding officer just put her hands on her hips and gave them a sarcastic look. She thwapped the pieces of paper (with what seems to be inscribed upon them a some sort of guide to some strange dance steps) on her hand and sighed as Kaji tried to hold back a snicker as he looked on at the two Children--they did look indeed freakingly stupid in leotards. If Amuro were here though, Misato would have guessed that he'd laugh his ass off upon seeing the two Children.  
  
Misato: (leers at them) Quit complaining! Appearance is vital in order to create the mood for this kind of thing! The enemy shares ONE mind with TWO bodies, so it's vital that you two learn to move in unison. Memorizing an attack pattern based on music is the quickest way to master *perfect* harmony. We've only got four days, remember?  
  
Kaji: Hmm, yes...and I happen to be the one who chose the music and done the choreography by the way. (grins at Shinji and Asuka)  
  
Misato: Hmm... (looks at Kaji with a raised eyebrow) Well why are *you* here? I think I can do all of this by myself just fine, thank you...  
  
Asuka: Aww, Misato...can't he just stay for a while so Kaji-san can see me show Mr. Sleazeball here I'm THE better dancer of the two of us?  
  
Kaji: (pats Misato's shoulder) Heh heh, now, now...  
  
And so Asuka and Shinji practiced on the "first part" of the dance all morning. The dance itself was a series of simple rhythmic exercises that must be done in perfect synchronization with one's partner, a little bit like simple aerobic exercises, even.   
  
Much to Misato's displeasure, however, because the two Children were WAY off rhythm and synchronicity with each other; Asuka obviously going way ahead of the otherwise slow Shinji. Misato just shook her head and Kaji looked on, rubbing his chin, being unable to say something about what kind of humiliation the two Children were getting themselves into.  
  
Misato: Umm...w-well, what do you think?  
  
Kaji: ...oh, man. (gulps)  
  
Misato: Looks like this will take more time than I thought.  
  
Kaji: Kind of looks like..."the dance of the crane and the monkey", if you ask me.  
  
As she was doing some dance step involving raising her hands and crouching, the 14-year-old redhead was just surprised at the sight of Shinji slipping and falling on his ass on the floor. What a clumsy fool Shinji is! she thought as they danced on quite stupidly all throughout the morning.  
  
-----  
  
This was definitely strange indeed, Bright had thought as he saw his wife and former White Base subordinate/navigator Mirai (née Yashima --Author) with their two adopted children within the vicinity of where he, Emma, and Reccoa were conducting a meeting with the daughter of one of the AEUG's financial supporters, Stephanie Luo of her father's Luo Industries. The four people were in fact inside some world-renowned coffee shop/restaurant named "Starbucks" or something like that.  
  
Bright squinted his eyes to see his family across the street more clearly. It...seemed like Bright's 14-year-old son Hathaway had more than his 12-year-old sister Cheimin and his mum Mirai to keep him company...it looks like his son has some nice-looking unknown girl about Hathaway's age holding hands with him. Heh, Bright thought, Hathaway has a girlfriend?  
  
Bright: Umm...would you excuse me for a while, Lieutenants? I think I see my wife just across the street...I'll go talk to them for a while, all right?  
  
Emma: Umm... (looks outside the restaurant window) Sure! Umm...but hey, introduce us to Mrs. Mirai Noah and your two kids while you're at it, okay Captain?  
  
Reccoa: Yeah! I mean, we're really anxious to meet them, right Lieutenant Emma?  
  
Emma: Umm...right. Eh heh, go on Captain! (grins)  
  
Captain Bright Noah of the Agama soon leaves the restaurant as the three women continue to discuss some more about whatever business the AEUG and Luo Industries have to discuss, although both Emma and Reccoa thought it'd be best if Bright would be the one to discuss business with Stephanie Luo. Anyway, maybe it'd be best also that the two AEUG ladies would let Bright have a brief reunion with his family for the time being as he'd nothing to think about lately but battle tactics and the like.  
  
Even before Bright had approached her, her two adopted children, and their little friend, Mirai..."sensed" her husband just in the area. Other than that she knew that she was a Newtype (just like her old friends Sayla and Amuro), it was just Mirai's "gut feeling" that "told" her Bright was just around. Strange, she also thought, why was Bright here in Hong Kong anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be in space or something, manning that old Federation cruiser Temptation?   
  
Bright crossed the street to see Mirai and their two children waving at him; it seems as if they had immediately recognized the patriarch captain and soon stopped in their tracks as Hathaway and Cheimin hugged their daddy.  
  
Mirai: (grins) Hey there, honey. What brings you to earth? I thought you were still working with that cruiser Temptation, what happened?  
  
Hathaway and Cheimin: Dad! (laughs) It's good to see you again, Dad!  
  
Bright: Hey there, kids. Honey...it's a long story, but I'm no longer the captain of the Temptation anymore. I'm with the AEUG now--  
  
Mirai: (gasps and looks around) The AEUG? Are you serious, hon?! Didn't you know the Titans have taken post somewhere outside the city and are patrolling every nook and corner of Hong Kong since yesterday?  
  
Bright: Yes, I know that, that's why we've taken to wearing disguises and civilian clothing for the moment, as you might have noticed.   
  
Mirai: Hmmm...(giggles and looks at him carefully) So that's why you're wearing quite a handsome Armani suit today, honey. Looks good on you, too! Heh heh... (hugs Bright)  
  
Bright: Aww, honey. Hey Hathaway, who's the lovely young girl with you?  
  
Hathaway: Oh! I almost forgot...Dad, here's my girlfriend from school, her name's Quess Paraya. Quess, this is my dad, you've probably heard a lot about him in the past...  
  
Quess: How do you do, Captain? (giggles and shakes Bright's hand) I've heard a lot about you in our History class!  
  
Bright: Quess...Paraya, isn't it? (shakes Quess' hand) How come I've heard that name "Paraya" before...oh, I remember! Your father Adenauer Paraya was the Federation's delegate from Thailand...  
  
Mirai: (blinks) How did you know about that? Oh, don't tell me, I know. (snickers) You always had a keen taste for reading newspapers everyday, don't you, hon?  
  
Quess: Mmhmm, he still is my homeland's delegate to the Earth Federation right now! (grins)  
  
Bright: Hmmm...right, Hathaway. Cheimin, honey, have you been taking good care of your mother too like your brother Hathaway here?  
  
Cheimin: Mmmhmm! (leers at Hathaway) Well I dunno about Hathaway here, he's always been picking on me lately again, Daddy! (makes a silly face at her brother) And...he seems to be spending more time with his gurrrrrlfriend here...it's almost as if they're--  
  
Hathaway: Argh! You shut your piehole!  
  
Cheimin: (sticks out a tongue at Hathaway) Nyaaaah!  
  
Quess: (giggles) Hathaway, stop picking on your sister!  
  
Bright: Hmm. Anyway...do you guys want to meet with my Lieutenants back there in that Starbucks thing just across the street? I'm sure they would want to meet with you guys too, especially you, honey.  
  
Mirai: Hmmm... (looks at Emma and Reccoa who were waving at them from afar then looks at Bright with a raised eyebrow) Are you SURE they're JUST your Lieutenants in the AEUG, *Bright*? Both of them look really nice, you know!  
  
Bright: Of *course* I'm sure, buttercup! (sweatdrops)  
  
-----  
  
Shinji Ikari felt like he was going to fall down at the snap of a finger as he and Asuka walked down a hall somewhere inside Nerv HQ at that time Misato had thought to be the best one for a lunch break for the two Children.   
  
Shinji: Three straight hours of practice, right off the bat...I'm *beat*, Asuka... (sighs) And there's *more* after lunch...aww man I think I'm gonna--  
  
Asuka: What are YOU whining about?! It's only difficult because YOU'RE such a klutz! Hmph, it would have been perfect already if I were by myself. Geez!  
  
Shinji: Heh, yeah...if you *were* by yourself. But of course, you wouldn't have any intention of adjusting your pace for *me*.  
  
Asuka: (grabs Shinji's ears and stretches them) YOU'RE the one who should adjust it, when you're dragging ME down! Aaaargh!  
  
Shinji: Owww, damn it!   
  
A brief moment later, some footsteps can be heard across the halls where they were in at that time. To both of their surprise, it was Commander Ikari who was walking towards a certain direction and looked like he was going to pass by them. Asuka immediately released Shinji from her grasp and greeted her supreme commander in the appropriate fashion; she didn't really want to be seen kicking the commander's son's ass around the Geofront, did she?   
  
Shinji, in the meanwhile, looked away from his father, looking very sullen in a few seconds' time as he always did whenever he was in his father's presence.  
  
Asuka: (blinks and grins) Oh...good afternoon, Commander!  
  
Gendo: Good afternoon, pilots. How is it going?  
  
Shinji: .....  
  
Asuka: (grins) Just fine, sir! We'll definitely win four days from now!  
  
Gendo: I see. (walks away from them) I will be looking forward to it.  
  
Shinji: (turns around to face Gendo) --Dad!  
  
Gendo: (stops and turns around to face Shinji) ...what is it?  
  
Shinji: Umm... (his knees start trembling) W-W-We're about to have lunch...Dad...if you'd like...w-w-we could...  
  
Gendo: (turns around and walks away from them) Sorry. I still have work to do.  
  
The Nerv supreme commander's voice still seemed so...cold and uncaring towards his own son as he walked away to whatever place he intended to go for that day. Shinji just stood there, almost frozen in time. Why does he do this? Shinji asked himself. Am I not his son anymore?  
  
And that was the last Shinji could ever see of his father--no, the *commander*--for that day. Shinji thought it would be more...appropriate if he had treated that man to be his commander rather than his father...although, he'd just be exuberant if just *once* his father would treat him as a son, not just another one of his precious Evangelion pilots.   
  
Curious, Asuka just looked at the Third Child just standing there silently as he did, wondering what went on in her old friend's mind as he stared at the commander--or Shinji's dad, for that matter. She definitely had no idea what went on between the Commander and his son, but she knew this was pretty serious. The redheaded Second Child almost felt sorry for Shinji...and figured that she should cheer him up a little bit later for Shinji's own good.  
  
-----  
  
As Camille drove on towards the Agama, he blinked and turned around for a split-second, then turns his motorcycle around, heading towards a certain branch of the infamous coffee shop franchise Starbucks with a familiar maroon Lexus parked in front of it--Bright's maroon Lexus.  
  
After parking his motorcycle, Camille went into the said restaurant panting like he was tired from running and almost grabbed Bright's collar to get the AEUG captain's attention.  
  
Bright: Camille! Hey, slow down, boy... (pats his back) Are you all right? You look like someone's chasing after you or something...oh, by the way---everyone, this is Camille Vidan, one of my best pilots in the Agama. Camille, this is my wife Mirai, you probably know her already; and here are my two children, Cheimin and Hathaway, with his girlfriend, Quess. And this is Stephanie Luo, she's in charge of Luo Industries for the moment.  
  
Stephanie: How do you do?  
  
Mirai: (shakes Camille's hand and eyes him carefully) "Camille"? Isn't that a girl's name, son? Umm, I hope you don't mind mistaking you for a girl...  
  
Quess and Hathaway: You mean--  
  
Cheimin: He's a guy, daddy?  
  
Bright: Umm...well, you see--  
  
Camille: --no time to explain about my name. Captain, I think we ought to head back ship as soon as possible, I...feel something bad's going to happen any time soon, you know?   
  
Mirai: So soon? But why? (thinks) He...felt *that* pressure too. This...Camille Vidan must be some kind of Newtype, just like...just like...  
  
Emma: And we've only gotten started with the meetings, too, Camille. Heck, we haven't even ordered some of that rowdy mocha-cappucino stuff I've been hearing about, you know?  
  
Reccoa: (yawns) Some party-pooper you turned out to be, Camille...tell me, is this another one of your Newtype premonitions or something? You better be serious this time...  
  
Camille: Look, I'm serious here, okay? Let's just get out of here, quick!  
  
Faint memories of Amuro in the old days started coming back to Bright and Mirai as they looked at Camille's serious expression. Well, he *sounds* serious, they both thought, why not?  
  
Bright: All right, all right. Miss Luo, I am very grateful that we could meet for today on behalf of my supreme commander. When can we expect the shipment of our new mobile suits?  
  
Camille: (thinks) New mobile suits...?  
  
Stephanie: As soon as next week, Captain. Rest assured that the... (looks into a certain file folder) ...MSZ-006 "Zeta" Gundam and the new reinforcements of GM-II's will be brought to the Agama without any knowledge or interference of the Federation nor the Titans.  
  
The blue-haired boy couldn't believe it; his little project was finally done and soon to be a tangible reality! He never thought a hare-brained scheme of combining certain aspects of the Rick Dias and the Gundam Mk-II could be such a brilliant one that even Anaheim Electronics themselves commended him for it. He had never guessed it would be so soon, though that it would be made. Nevertheless, his hard work in the old junior mobile suit competition had paid off quite well, he might say.  
  
Bright: Good. (shakes Stephanie's hand) I thank you again for the time you've given us, madam. Umm...I'd also suggest you should take cover somewhere because...I have this feeling we will not be experiencing this peaceful morning atmosphere for any longer.  
  
Stephanie: (shakes Bright's hand) Indeed. It was nice to meet your family, your Lieutenants and your...pilot, though. By the way...Camille Vidan, is it? (shakes Camille's hand) Excellent job on the Zeta Gundam, chap. You're...quite the genius for such a young boy. Well, I better get moving now as well. Zai jian! (waves at all of them and leaves the restaurant) Oh, and by the way...you wouldn't happen to be seeing Amuro Ray lately, have you? Anyway, tell him... (giggles) Tell him one of my superiors at Anaheim, some cute Kalaba mobile suit engineer named Chien Agi...tell him she "sends her love" to him, okay? (winks)  
  
Bright: Umm...sure! Well, if I *do* see Amuro one of these days again... (thinks) Oh, brother. Amuro's at it again...  
  
Mirai: Oooh! Amuro has a new girlfriend? Hey, but I thought Amuro still had the hots for Sayla? I wonder...  
  
Stephanie: And tell him Chien says his new mobile suit is almost ready. She just has to make ends meet as to how she'd install this fancy gadget called the "psycoframe"...gah, anyway, I'm not much into that technical mobile suit stuff. I'll see all of you in a while. Man, I'll tell ya...that Chien Agi's sure one nice gal...anyway, Zai jian! (giggles)  
  
Bright: Amuro's new mobile suit? Hmmm...well, *that* was quick. Anyway, would you want to come along with us on the ship, honey, kids?   
  
Hathaway: Yeah, that'd be great, dad!  
  
Quess: Mmhmm, mmhmm! (grins and nods)  
  
Mirai: Honey, are you sure? I mean, I'd assume you guys are going into battle stations immediately and well, you know...I don't want these kids getting into harm or anything. Ambassador Paraya even trusted me with little Quess here personally, since you do remember that you've volunteered us to be her ummm..."godparents"...  
  
Quess: (pouts) Aww, Auntie Mirai, did you have to call me "little"?  
  
Bright: (ruffles Quess' hair) Ohh, don't worry about that. The ship is almost perfectly safe, more so when you guys are in the bridge because in the first place, the Agama has a state-of-the-art framework and armor placements anyway. And umm...I've quite forgotten about our being godparents with this little girl here, so Quess...I'm sorry if I didn't recognize you at first. Heh heh.  
  
Quess: Oh, it's all right, sir! (grins) I've at least Hathaway here to keep me company anyway! (giggles and snuggles up to Hathaway)  
  
Hathaway: (blushes) Uhh...  
  
Cheimin: Oooh! He's turning red! (grins stupidly)  
  
Bright: Hmmm...yes. Shall we go now? (gives the car keys to Emma)  
  
Emma: (pouts and takes the car keys) But we haven't even ordered some of that freaky mocha-cappuccino crap yet! Aww...  
  
Bright: Hmm. Well I suppose she's right, Camille. I don't think we ought to get out of here yet. It's not like we're already being chased after or anything, anyway.  
  
Mirai: (nods) Yeah. Well anyway...umm, Camille, is it? Ahem...the Titans won't recognize you even if you just happened to pass by any of their patrolling groups or something similar...I mean, not ALL opposing pilots know each others' faces, right?  
  
Bright: Honey, we still have to take precaution as his daddy *is* still with the Titans and for all I know I'd think his daddy would rather kill Camille here than spare him...  
  
Camille: ..... (looks away and sits down)  
  
Emma: ..... (thinks) Poor boy...  
  
Camille: I guess you're right, Captain... (sighs) But still, I do have this strange feeling in my head...it's kind of like some kind of air pressure between your ears, kind of like these moments when I'd...well...when I'd sense another person's thoughts, only stronger...Mrs. Noah, I don't believe I have to explain it to you anymore, you know what I'm talking about...  
  
Mirai: I...think I do, Camille. It's okay. You're a Newtype, just like me...and a few others Bright and I have known for a long time now. But...to feel what you feel so strongly... (shakes her head) I don't think I'd be, should we say, "up to your level" anyway, if you know what I mean. (grins slightly and pats Camille's head)  
  
The blue-haired boy almost blushed at the sight of his Captain's wife's tiny grin as she ruffled his hair like a mother would to her child. The Captain must be so lucky to have known such a nice lady...  
  
Bright: (rubs his chin) "Not being up to the same level", huh...wow, it's almost like another one of those old role-playing games...umm, but then I didn't really mean it that way, really. It's just that though I was born and raised in a colony myself, I don't really have any "heightened sense of clairvoyance" or anything of the sort. I'm...what the Zeon would call an "Oldtype" as well...  
  
Mirai: (raises an eyebrow) Honey, you sound like you're degrading yourself just because you're an "Oldtype" or whatever. (holds Bright's hand) Heh heh...do that again and I might have to *spank* you. (giggles)  
  
Bright: (gulps) Uhh...hon, we have kids listening here...  
  
Quess and Hathaway: Ooooh...  
  
Cheimin: (blinks) Why is it wrong in front of kids?  
  
Camille: (scratches his head and thinks) Huh?  
  
Bright: D'oh, never mind...*ahem*.  
  
Reccoa: (covers her mouth slightly, gasps, and looks at Bright curiously) Captain, I didn't know!  
  
While the others were busy making fun of the Agama's captain, Emma, however, slowly turned into SD/chibi mode and lay her head on the table looking like a tired little puppy dog. Also turning into SD/chibi mode, Each of Emma's companions blinked as they looked at her with a sweatdrop on each of their heads.  
  
Emma: (in a silly voice) Can we get some coffee now?  
  
All seven people couldn't help but laugh. Emma, having sort of a bewildered look on her face, scratched her head and wondered what they were all laughing about. Turning back into "normal-sized" mode, she just sighed and hailed for the nearest waiter, looking and reading through her menu...  
  
Camille, however, had other things on his mind at the moment as he put his chin on his palm and looked out the café's window, having a faraway glance...  
  
-----  
  
In the meanwhile, back in Japan...  
  
Misato, after a hard and somewhat grueling day of teaching two certain 14-year-old Evangelion pilots how to dance in perfect synchronization with each other, was just on the verge of finishing her phone call on her cell phone to a certain person in the Mont Blanc about certain requests to "borrow" the Evangelions after this mission.  
  
Misato: "Borrow" them? Hmm, I don't know if I'm authorized to let you borrow the Eva's for any situation for the AEUG that may arise, I'd think you should ask Commander Ikari on this matter, Captain.  
  
Amuro: /Ah...I see. Well, anyway, like I've told you, if there aren't any more of the Angels coming for Tokyo for the time being, as honorary members of the AEUG and the Kalaba, I would only think it's only proper that at least two of the three Eva pilots would be willing to go with us.../  
  
Misato: Hmm. I think I might be able to do something about it, I'll go check with either Commander Ikari or Subcommander Fuyutsuki regarding this matter. Hmm, but then I would assume that the Children *would* have to undergo special anti-mobile suit training if they are to be...shall we say, non-regular members of the AEUG. I mean, they'd need it if they are to make sorties against the Titans or...  
  
Amuro: (chuckles) /Oh, don't worry about that! Well, as long as I'd have the rundown on the basics of the Eva's mechanics we'd have no problem gauging the children's capabilities and other things that might come along with it. Captain Katsuragi, I...think I can see some kind of "potential" in your Eva pilots, especially Shinji and Asuka. Well, I just know they'll do good, heh heh./  
  
Misato: (nods) Ahh. Is this aside from the fact that we all have suspicions about Shinji and Asuka being Newtypes? I mean...well, I don't know much about Newtypes myself, but...  
  
Amuro: /Oh, it's nothing of the sort, really. Hmmm...I don't know about your third pilot, though...that pale-skinned girl with ice blue hair and red eyes./  
  
Misato: Oh, you mean Rei? What about her?   
  
Amuro: /I just couldn't put my finger into it, but...well, you know...heh, maybe it's just that I haven't seen her in battles yet, that's why I'm, shall we say, "doubting" her abilities as a pilot./  
  
Misato: (giggles) Ehh, I'm sure she'd be a nice addition if she ever goes on special operations with the rest of the AEUG. She's a great kid, though she's just not very sociable, you know? Eh heh heh heh heh! (thinks) Nice try, Newtype...I've heard better lies than that. Hmm...what could Amu-chan be thinking...?  
  
Amuro: (laughs) /Ahh well, if it's Rei's personality we'd *definitely* have no problems with that. I'd say just let her be if she's not *that* sociable to begin with./  
  
Misato: Uh-huh. Hmm...you did say your superior officer Hayato Kobayashi had orders from the Agama itself that you should leave for Hong Kong, right? What's so urgent in Hong Kong that the Kalaba's presence is required there immediately?  
  
Amuro: /Yeah, but he says he'll stay here with half of my troops while I go with Officer MacKenzie--and hopefully Shinji and Asuka--to Hong Kong to rendezvous with Captain Bright Noah and the rest of the AEUG./ (sighs and thinks) Good thing Char's in space right now...  
  
Misato: (giggles) Well, if you're all going to Hong Kong, you might as well get Ritsuko and me some goodies while you're at it, ne? Well, of course, that comes with avoiding the Titans as much as possible. Yeah, yeah. (nods) Eh heh heh heh heh.  
  
Amuro: /Eh heh heh heh heh. Anyway, this won't be much of a pleasure trip, you probably know that by now--/  
  
Misato: Oh, yes, of course! Heh heh, work first before pleasure, right?  
  
Amuro: /R...Right. Well...umm.../  
  
Misato: Yeah?  
  
Amuro: /This...thing with the Angel...do you think it'll end soon enough? I mean, I *have* to be following orders from upstairs, you know? Couldn't you just get the Angel while it's down there like a big pulp of crap?/  
  
Misato: Just a few more days, Captain. Actually, even though the Angel's halves are just sitting around there like a big pile of crap, there's still the possibility of them of being just as dangerous as they are whole, you know? We might even have more trouble than we're worth if we just go out there and kick the crap out of that Angel's halves.   
  
Amuro: /Oh...okay. Well, whatever must be done, must be done, right? Anyway I'd just leave it up to you with anything involving the Angel; we still have a lot of repairs to do with our mobile suits and everything especially the Mont Blanc itself, you know? I'd think Captain Bright could wait for a few more days anyway./  
  
Misato: Heh heh heh. Well, I think I must be going now, I'd still have to make dinner for the two kids and my pet penguin. I guess I'll see you in a while, Captain. (giggles)  
  
Amuro: /Yeah, same here. Later./ (ends the call on his cell phone) Her pet penguin? Gosh...Japanese people...man, I dunno what people like to keep as pets these days... (shrugs) I could have sworn she was giggling, though...ehh, anyway...  
  
Misato turned off her cell phone just in time for Kaji bringing in some take-out curry yakisoba inside her office yet again somewhere inside Nerv HQ. As usual, she still had a lot of queued paperwork to be done involving the two Eva's last encounter with the Angel, but she never seems to get it done anyway for the lazy slob that she is (although she *does* get some of her work done, at times).  
  
Kaji: Still have a lot of shit to do, huh?   
  
Misato: (leers) Why are *you* here?  
  
Kaji: Hey, don't look at me like that! I just thought you were hungry and all so I bought you some yakisoba and some other stuff here... (looks inside his take-out bags) Do you drink Diet Mr. Pibb?  
  
Misato: Ehh, no thanks. I'm getting out of here anyway to prepare food for Pen-pen and the two kids. Umm...give that take-out food to someone else like Ritsuko or Lieutenant Ibuki or something...  
  
Kaji: (rubs his chin) Mmmm...Ritsuko, eh? Well, that's okay, Katsuragi. Although...you did say you were going to cook food for Pen-pen, Shinji, and Asuka, right? (sweatdrops)  
  
Misato: Yup! And I might even make something extra for Rei, too! (grins, then stares curiously at Kaji) Well why do you look all so flustered all of a sudden?   
  
Kaji: (gulps and thinks) Well, I know for a fact that your cooking isn't as good as you look, my sweet Misa-chan...last time I've eaten your stuff, it gave me three days in the men's room...  
  
Misato: (raises an eyebrow) Are you mumbling about something?  
  
Kaji: Oh, it's nothing! Ummm...have a nice dinner, I guess. Eh heh heh heh heh! Umm, so...how are Shinji and Asuka going so far, would they be considered to pass in synchronized swimming now?  
  
Misato: (sighs) Not yet...they need some more work on their movements and all. If there was only some way to improve on the both of them...Shinji seems to lag behind while Asuka's leaving him way ahead as far as the dance steps are concerned... (sighs) I should have left it up to the Kalaba to defeat the Angel, you know?  
  
Kaji: Yeah, maybe you're right...I mean, I know that they *do* have the firepower to do it anyway, although I'd say that they should upgrade their weaponry and mobile suits just to be at par with the Angels. (nods) Yeah, I'd definitely think so.  
  
The Nerv head captain of anti-Angel operations started picking up her things and arranging stuff inside her office as it *was* time for her to go home anyway. For a minute, she started to wonder what could the Angels want inside Nerv HQ that was so..."important" to them. Kaji noticed that his "self-proclaimed" (at least to him) college ex-girlfriend and Nerv colleague was deep in thought as he was helping her out, so he figured he should break the ice and go on with the conversation.  
  
Kaji: So, umm...you *are* going to come back here, are you? I mean, you did say you were going to keep check on every move that Shinji and Asuka make, right?  
  
Misato: (picks up her backpack) .....huh? Oh, yeah! Right, I'm coming back here as soon as I make dinner for Pen-pen and the Children, yeah...  
  
Kaji: Are you sure you're all right? Hmm...well, if you're feeling tired... (hugs her and makes an attempt to kiss her) ...we could..."relax" for a bit, right, Misa-chan?  
  
Misato: ...!! (slaps Kaji on the face...hard)  
  
Kaji: Ouch. (rubs his left cheek)  
  
Misato: Don't you have any clue, Kaji?! We're *through*, remember?!  
  
Kaji couldn't help but just chuckle as he saw Misato storm out her office door, looking *very* pissed off. Looks like she hasn't forgiven me yet, he thought. He just rubbed his left cheek again as he locked Misato's office door behind him and reminisced some old memories when he was still in a relationship with Misato, years ago. Ah, the good old days indeed, he thought.  
  
But then, Kaji could have sworn Misato's cheeks have turned a faint shade of red back there...  
  
-----  
  
Docking the Mont Blanc inside the Nerv Geofront was no hard task compared to the things that now-AEUG captain Amuro Ray's Kalaba regiment must do in order to avoid the Titans. It was a busy night in that large underground hollow called the Geofront, more so within the Mont Blanc itself because repairs were being made on what GM-II mobile suits Amuro's small fleet has left, and also with his own and Chris' respective Rick Diases.   
  
For a moment, Amuro had remembered the first time he'd been "given" the Rick Dias; this was definitely not a Federation mobile suit. It kind of boasted some kind of Zeonic design to it...he had then assumed that former Zeon engineers were indeed working inside Anaheim Electronics. The plot gets thicker, Amuro mumbled to himself as he observed repairs on the mobile suits being made by partly AEUG and Nerv mechanics and engineers, the head of maintenance being the Mont Blanc's captain, Shiro Amada.  
  
Chris: What are you mumbling about, sempai?  
  
Amuro: Yikes! Christina, don't *ever* come up behind me like that again, okay?  
  
Chris: Sorry! (giggles)  
  
Amuro: ...right. Eh, I wasn't mumbling about anything important, just...thinking about stuff, you know?  
  
Chris: (raises an eyebrow and grins) Mmmmhmmm. Well, this..."stuff" you've been thinking aloud about...it isn't about Captain Katsuragi and her cute ex, right? Come on, I know you better than that. I can tell she likes you a lot, just look at the number of times you've been calling each other on the phone!  
  
Amuro: (tries to stay calm and blushes a little) It's nothing like that, Christina. Misa--I mean, Captain Katsuragi and I are just friends and colleagues in the same organization and we have to keep contact with each other as representatives of the AEUG and Kalaba and Nerv. I would have absolutely *nothing* to do with Mr. Kaji and Captain Katsuragi's affairs whatsoever because as far as I'm concerned I already have--  
  
Chris: (pouts) Sempai, how can you stand someone like that blonde bitch Beltochika Irma? She's noisy, she's obnoxious, she even shouted at me when I was just *talking* with you! And she always seems to annoy the people around her with her mere *presence*, sempai! Aaargh! If it were me, I would have knocked out that ugly excuse for a face and--  
  
Amuro: (sighs) Oh, Chris...hey, umm...could you just do me a favor and test out your Rick Dias if she's functioning normally now? I think our guys have finished making the last repairs on its right arm just a few hours ago--  
  
Chris: --and I've checked it out a few hours ago, too! It's doing perfectly *fine* now, I must say, maybe even better than before, thanks to our Nerv buddies! What I don't like is the fact that you've been avoiding the fact that Captain Misato Katsuragi of Nerv *likes* you, Amuro Ray-sempai of the AEUG! (nudges Amuro) Come *on*, give her a chance, will you?  
  
Amuro: I don't know, Christina...  
  
Chris just pouted as Amuro walked away from her towards a nearby GM-II and did an ocular inspection of it, so she followed her superior officer and inspected another nearby GM-II. She, as well as Amuro, couldn't believe it either how the AEUG had obtained GM mobile suit models in the first place, since the GM-II's themselves *were* in line for the Federation's budget for future mobile suit projects amongst many others, to the extent of her knowledge when she was once still with the Federal Forces. The cute redhead then took a glance at her superior officer and gave a pout and a sigh, concerned for his disposition between two...make that *three* women; she almost forgot about AEUG Corporal Chien Agi, one of their representatives to Anaheim Electronics.   
  
Nerv head engineer A: What should we do with about the cockpit monitors, sir? A lot of your GM-IIs' monitors have been quite hazy since your last sortie, sir...  
  
Amuro: Do what you can, but I'd suggest you should fix the GM-II's head cameras and work on the apogee motors as well for increased speed and mobility. We'll never know if the Titans have made upgrades on their own mobile suits.  
  
Nerv head engineer A: Yes, sir. (gets back to his work)  
  
Chris: Tsk, tsk, tsk...  
  
Amuro: (turns to Chris) What?  
  
Chris: Gee, sempai... (shakes her head) You're hopeless, you know that?  
  
-----  
  
Yet again, it was almost nightfall when Bright decided to call it a day and head back to the Agama with his family and subordinates after quite a short afternoon of shopping and movies in Hong Kong. Actually, Bright thought they should have gone in sooner as he had suspected, as usual, that there are many "eyes" looking at them in secret. But then he couldn't risk losing this opportunity to be with his family once again and spend some quality time with them, so he went along and had fun with them. His two subordinates Reccoa and Emma had fun for that day as well since this was the first time they'd had fun in months, or even years. Camille, however, seemed to have that same concern as he had as he had noticed the boy glancing and looking around suspiciously.  
  
But in fact, they *were* being watched. As Bright's maroon Lexus headed out of Hong Kong City, he began to have suspicions about that black car that was seemingly following them ever since they got out of the movie theater. He sped up a little just to make sure.  
  
Hathaway: Hey daddy, I didn't know you had a Lexus! (looks around inside the car) Sorry for this, but well...this doesn't really seem too much, you know? Have you been giving this baby a tune-up or something?  
  
Bright: Well, I didn't know you knew anything about cars, son. This Lexus isn't exactly mine, you know, it's my commander's car, and he just borrowed it to me and all.   
  
Mirai: Well how come you haven't taken the responsibility of maintaining it, then? Your commander ought to be very displeased when he finds out you haven't been taking care of his car...hey, aren't we going a little fast, honey?  
  
Bright: We have to go back to the Agama immediately. And I mean *immediately*.  
  
Mirai: (squints at Bright) Is there something wrong?  
  
Camille: (taps Mirai's shoulder) Mrs. Noah, if I may interrupt...do you see that black car behind us?  
  
Mirai: (turns around) Well, yeah. What about it--oh my God. We're being followed, aren't we? Why didn't you tell us sooner, honey?  
  
Bright: I'd figured we'd just keep ourselves cool until I can get us an opportunity to get out of the city, honey. There's no use for us having a big chase all over a crowded town because we'd just get caught anyway. We're just so lucky there are a few of these Titans around in the first place. (gets something from behind him and gives Mirai his handgun) You still know how to shoot, don't you?  
  
Mirai: (eyes widen) What the...?! Of *course* I still know how to shoot, but you'll put your children in danger! Are you nuts?!  
  
Bright: You just have to hold it if you couldn't shoot it. I'm sure Hathaway, Cheimin, and Quess know better than to just stand there and take friendly fire from you. Lieutenant Emma, Ensign Reccoa, you both know what to do.  
  
Emma and Reccoa: Right, sir.   
  
Mirai: But...!  
  
Bright: Oh, *shit*! Checkpoints!  
  
The captain of the Agama stepped further on the gas pedal and definitely did not intend to stop on what surely looked like a Titan checkpoint at the end of the road even when one of the soldiers was already waving his arms at the fast-approaching maroon Lexus. A shocked look on his face, the Titan soldier dived out of the way as Bright's Lexus crashed through the wooden gate of the checkpoint and sped on further away from the city.   
  
Titan soldier A: Shit, he almost mowed me down! You, radio any of our nearest patrol cars and tell them to keep an eye on a certain maroon Lexus with plate number LBB-9378, ON THE DOUBLE!  
  
Titan soldier B: Yes, sir! /All patrol cars near the vicinity of.../  
  
-----  
  
Mirai: (pants heavily) Whoa, boy! Looks like we're in for a nice chase tonight, aren't we? Bright, you *must* get back to your ship immediately! I don't want us getting caught and everything!  
  
Cheimin: (hugs Emma) I'm scared...  
  
Emma: (pats Cheimin's head) Shh, it's all right...  
  
Quess: (hugs Hathaway) What are we going to *do*?!  
  
Hathaway: (hugs Quess back) Well, the first thing you can do is not to panic...  
  
Bright: Mirai, don't you think I want us getting caught too? Of course not, that's why I'm speeding it up and everything! Camille, as soon as we get to the ship, scramble immediately in the Gundam Mk-II with Emma in the Rick Dias and Reccoa in a GM-II, is that clear?  
  
Emma and Reccoa: Understood, sir.  
  
Camille: You don't have to tell me, Captain...oh shit, there's already three cars chasing after us!  
  
And so the great big car chase lasted for around ten minutes or so, with Bright narrowly dodging bullets from their predators and with Emma, Reccoa, and Mirai shooting back at the three patrol cars pursuing them. Camille had already radioed the Agama to send a "welcoming party" for their stalkers as commanded by Bright himself.   
  
And so, as the maroon Lexus had safely passed by a certain point off-road leading to a cave nearby, the passengers of two of the three Titan patrol cars were just shocked to see a beam gun shot coming from seemingly out of nowhere and totally destroyed one of their cars. In their shock, the Titan officers inside one of the cars signaled the other car to retreat and head for the Sudry immediately on the fact that the AEUG was definitely in China right now.  
  
Bright, however, had foreseen this possibility and rushed towards the Agama's bridge as fast as he could. He had also immediately ordered available assistance and protection as far as his family and Quess was concerned.  
  
Bright: Quess, you go with Hathaway, Cheimin and Mrs. Noah and our guards into my room. I don't want your father chasing my ass around just because you're not being taken care of. Camille, you go to the mobile suit dock and wait for further orders while inside the Gundam Mark-II. Same goes for the both of you, Lieutenant Emma in the Rick Dias and Officer Reccoa in a GM-II of your choosing.  
  
Quess: R...right, Captain... (clings to Hathaway's arm)  
  
Emma and Reccoa: Aye, sir! (both run off to the Agama's mobile suit hangar)  
  
Camille: Like I said, you don't have to tell me, Captain... (runs off after Emma and Reccoa)  
  
Hathaway and Cheimin: What about you, dad?  
  
Bright: I'll be on the bridge, of course, where I should be. You should know better. You, however, honey...you come with me. I have a job for you to do.  
  
Mirai: Huh? W-well...all right...  
  
As the two parents separate from their two adopted children, Mirai ran up ahead of her husband and started to ask him about why he'd want her to go with him.  
  
Mirai: And what job would you possibly want me to do?  
  
Bright: Something you're very familiar with, honey, since our...*navigator* Torres is on sick bay for the moment. I'm pretty sure you get the idea now, honey, since I know you're the right man...err, woman for the job, if you know what I mean. (grins)  
  
With a hearty chuckle, Mirai hugged her husband and went with him to the Agama's bridge clinging to his arm. It was definitely like...  
  
Mirai: This is definitely like the old days, isn't it, Bright? (grins at him)  
  
  
-----  
  
  
It might be that Tokyo is, for a fact, an hour or so behind as far as Hong Kong's time is concerned, but in any case, Shinji and Asuka called it a day and went to their little "love shack" as Misato would teasingly put it, and as the two Children would vehemently deny against.  
  
As per afternoon, Asuka had just finished her bath and took out a soda from their seemingly always-loaded Nerv-subsidized refrigerator. Bumping her butt against the refrigerator door to close it, she walked over to Shinji who was already on his own bed, yet again listening to his Discman playing some orchestral music collection CD, lost in deep thought.   
  
To Asuka, it definitely looked like Shinji would rather listen to his own taste of music than the piped-in music that was playing inside their room, which would happen to be the same music they've been hearing all day long while practicing their synchronicity through some kind of a "dance" that Misato wanted them to do.  
  
Asuka: (sighs annoyingly as she towels her hair dry) I can't believe Misato insisted that we should listen to this music even at *night*. (sits down beside Shinji)  
  
Shinji: .....  
  
Asuka: Aren't you, Shinji? (looks at him curiously and squints) Say...do you have a... (opens her soda can)  
  
Shinji: (rises up from his bed and removes his earphones) .....  
  
Asuka: ...a "father complex"?  
  
And yet again, years of "friendship" with the pretty young redhead have proven that Asuka, with that familiar sarcastic tone of hers (that she happened to be using right now), was prying into Shinji's personal life.  
  
Shinji: (eyebrows meet and eyes widen) *Now* what the hell are you yammering about?!  
  
Asuka: Am I right? You wanted to have lunch with the Commander, didn't you? Now you're all depressed because he said no. Come on, Shinji, I know you better than that...we've been pals ever since we were kids, right?  
  
Shinji: (hugs his knees) Look, Asuka...I don't have a complex. I...I hate him. So much that I wonder why he's my dad at all...but... (sighs) I don't really want to hate him. (hugs his knees tighter) That's just how I feel deep down inside.  
  
Asuka: Hmm. Sounds complex to me. I think you just have this problem of being too self-conscious around him, you know?  
  
Shinji: Well, what about *your* father, then? How well do you two get along?  
  
Asuka: (drinks her soda) I don't have a father.  
  
Shinji: Huh? W...What did you day? But I've always thought...then who was that whom you showed me in one of your pictures...did he die?  
  
Asuka: Ahh, he was my mother's boyfriend. They married a few years back. What I mean to say is...I never had a real father in the first place. Have you ever heard of a sperm bank, Shinji? My "father", if you will, was one of the sperm that my mother withdrew from the bank. I was conceived in a test tube.  
  
Shinji: (looks weirdly at Asuka) .....  
  
Asuka: (looks back at Shinji) What's *your* problem?  
  
Shinji: W...Well, I'd heard of sperm banks...b...but I've never for once in my life had seen the actual results! (sweatdrops)  
  
Asuka: (grins) Uh huh, and listen! It wasn't just *any* sperm...my mother chose a *very* exclusive sperm bank. The donor passed a *strict* qualification test on academic background and character. Of course, the women have to be similarly qualified as well...  
  
Shinji: (nods and grins) Uh huh...eh heh heh, t...tell me more! (sweatdrops and thinks) There's something *wrong* with a fourteen-year-old girl talking about all this...sperm...  
  
Asuka: Yeah, and my father's was the best of them--from a genius scientist. So I was born through the combination of an elite sperm and egg. Which *means*... (smirks maliciously) I was a *chosen* being, a *special* person. You, of all people, Shinji, should know better. Heh heh heh!  
  
Shinji: (cringes and thinks) Gee whiz...so that's what she was *really* trying to say. But... (stares at Asuka weirdly, still thinking) But how did such a *dysfunctional* person result from an elite sperm and egg...?  
  
Asuka: Is that *disbelief* on your face?!  
  
Shinji: But...don't you get *lonely*? Never having a father, I mean...  
  
Asuka: (stares at Shinji for a second and sighs a little) It doesn't matter whether I have a father or not. If I was chosen from among many to become an Eva pilot...and I fight and defeat the Angels...and if everyone acknowledges those accomplishments...then I'd be happy.  
  
Shinji: .....  
  
-----  
  
Titan response was quick and sharp as it was deadly; the Sudry immediately deployed its Zaku-II's across Hong Kong City and set them on patrol for any possible sighting of the Agama and the Radish and/or any of its mobile suits. Titan Lieutenant Commander Ben Wooder was almost furious that he didn't find out that the AEUG was just in the area and that he'd never guessed they'd be *so* close too.  
  
Wooder: (rubs his chin) Clever, Captain Bright Noah...but not clever enough. Professor Cornell, is Four ready? Is the Psyco Gundam ready as well?  
  
Namica: As a matter of fact, sir, it's been ready even before we've ever landed China, sir. As for Four...she's ready as well, as always.   
  
Wooder: Good. Deploy the Psyco Gundam at once! All available hands, get into your battle stations and prepare for Level 1 combat! We may run into two of the AEUG's battleships so we should be careful. Engage immediately!  
  
Sudry bridge operator A: Yes, sir! /All available hands.../  
  
Sudry bridge operator B: /Psyco Gundam, launch! I repeat.../  
  
Namica: But don't you think we'd be preparing the Sudry and Four a little *too* soon, sir? I mean, the AEUG still isn't exactly doing their raid on Hong Kong yet, you know?  
  
Wooder: We have to be cautious at all times, even now that we know that the AEUG is here in Hong Kong. I've heard absurd stories about them actually standing out from among our forces both in space and here on earth even though from what I know they're only just a few people...so just in case, I may have to take it upon myself to take the AEUG down right here and now in Hong Kong, Professor.  
  
Namica: I...see. Pretty confident that you will wipe out the AEUG at our combat strength, eh Lieutenant? Just...don't be so sure about it. We only have *one* Psyco Gundam, and Four still isn't fully augmented for battle yet. She...still has these streaks of emotion to be observed of her, but we aren't to worry about it. A few more of our tests and she will be the perfect Newtype breakthrough that the Federation has ever produced.  
  
Wooder: You better be sure about this, Professor. From the looks of things, we could not afford to suffer any more losses from the AEUG. (looks out the Sudry's bridge's window) Fully augmented or not, Four *must* win this battle.  
  
And indeed, just outside the Garuda-class Titan air fortress Sudry, the immensely monstrous 40-meter tall ebony MRX-009 Psyco Gundam takes its first large steps into battle, the earth rumbling against its large steps. The Titans-issue Zaku-II's around the Psyco Gundam would pale in comparison to the monstrosity they were "escorting" (as if the Psyco Gundam needed any escorting at all) as they moved out into the city and waited for the AEUG to come.  
  
Four Murasame was, as always, silent inside the Psyco Gundam's chest cockpit. If one would try to look at her face right now, hers was a vacant one: unemotional, unforgiving...almost like a machine. Almost like the immense machine she was piloting right now...but somehow, at the corner of her mind, she feels...something different, something very distant. Some kind of mild pressure, an aura, similar to her own...but then, she just seemed to shrug it off and set her mind on her "assigned" task...  
  
-----  
  
Strangely enough, Camille felt some kind of an "evil" aura, a force not unlike his own or Quattro's. What little "pressure" of that aura inside his head slowly but surely grew as the minutes went by, but he tried to stay calm inside his white Gundam Mk-II, awaiting orders from the Agama's bridge to launch out.   
  
Reminiscing what few good...and bad...experiences he had with the as a soldier of the AEUG, he felt this was just the beginning of his trials and tribulations...both as a human being and as a Newtype, as everyone he knew suspected him to be.  
  
Breathe in, breathe out, he told himself.  
  
Breathe in, breathe out...  
  
-----  
  
Mirai: Where to, honey...err, Captain?  
  
The "newly-assigned" navigator of the Agama gripped the navigating wheel like she had done when she was the infamous Pegasus White Base's navigator; it just never crossed her mind that she'd be doing this kind of thing once again; but it was necessary. She trusted her husband that he still believed in her ability so she had accepted his offer to replace his bed-ridden navigator Torres without a complaint.  
  
Bright: We are to avoid the city as much as possible, Mirai. Judging from the situation, I'd think the Titans are already scattered throughout Hong Kong. But still, we shouldn't underestimate what the Titans can do. They *did* use to be a part of the Federal Forces and are composed of the elite of all of us...  
  
Mirai: But I'm surprised you didn't become part of the Titans even though you're still part of the Federal Forces a reserve officer, Bright.   
  
Bright: I...just didn't feel right when they were drafting officers for the force, Mirai. I was right, apparently...  
  
Mirai: (sighs) Well, anyway, I think I can still manage to be your navigator for the time being since navigating battlecruisers *is* still fresh on my mind, even though I've retired from the service when the One-Year War ended. Still, I need to know about the technical specifications of this baby here...I can tell it's faster than the Pegasus White Base, but can it withstand Titan mobile suits and weaponry, Bright?  
  
Bright: Only one way to find out. Hmm...I just had an idea go through my mind. What if the Titans decide to come here and attack us directly? Damn bloody Titans...if we didn't let those other two cars go...I wouldn't worry this much...  
  
Mirai: We'll just have to be prepared for that, Captain. After all, we do have two battleships and a good squadron of mobile suits in our arsenal, right? (squints) Or are you telling me you're chickening out already, hmmm?  
  
Fa, tending to her usual bridge operator duties, couldn't help but giggle as she was overhearing this little husband-and-wife conversation between the Captain and, of course, his wife. Bright just didn't notice it, but the rest of the bridge operators were snickering as well. The captain of the Agama just gulped and tried to maintain his all-too-familiar austere trademark gesture that he's kept for the past seven years.  
  
Bright: (sweatdrops) Ummm...of course not, sweetie.  
  
Fa: (thinks and grins) Gee, I didn't know the Captain could be such a little man in front of his wife...  
  
-----  
  
Taking their positions across town, the fifteen Titan Zaku-II's await the Sudry's orders as they witness the enormous sable-colored Psyco Gundam make its way slowly towards Hong Kong City like one of those Godzilla films of old, their "mothership" Sudry following at a slow pace as well.   
  
Yet again, inside the Psyco Gundam's chest cockpit, Four somehow...felt some kind of powerful aura just around the vicinity. She could almost feel that aura breathe in...and breathe out, like it was very close to her. Her hands began to shake lightly as Four had never experienced something like this before, much more that she had never been in a real anti-mobile suit battle before. She had finally realized that this *definitely* wasn't like one of those battle simulations that she had been taught to master.  
  
Namica: /Four, are you all right? You seem a little...tense. Is something wrong?/  
  
Four: (gasps) /N...Nothing's wrong, ma'am./  
  
Namica: /...good. Await further orders from the Sudry while still aiming for the vantage point in the city. Over and out./  
  
Four: (breathes in and out deeply) .....w...what is this that I feel...some kind of...pressure...in my head...it's very, very near...I...  
  
The Psyco Gundam still continued to advance to that town in Hong Kong where the Zaku-II's had gone to. In the meanwhile, inside the Sudry's main bridge, Lieutenant Commander Wooder was considering some thought in his mind. He was thinking, since the patrol group who had chased after Bright Noah's car had given him the exact coordinates of the location of the rest of the AEUG...  
  
Wooder: Let's move out to that cave that one of our patrol groups described as the location of the AEUG's flagship Agama. Do it immediately.  
  
Sudry navigator: Yes, sir!  
  
Namica: Don't you think it's a good idea just to stay in the city and await their arrival, Lieutenant?  
  
Wooder: If I were the captain of the Agama, I would think of using another path as much as possible to avoid the Sudry and the rest of our Zaku-II squadron, Professor Cornell. Better to drive the rats out of their hole than to wait for them in our nicely laid trap. Besides, I don't think that they will be able to withstand the Psyco Gundam's power with their limited weaponry and all.   
  
Namica: (raises an eyebrow and sighs boringly) As you say, Lieutenant Commander.  
  
-----  
  
Fa: Captain, I think there's a high concentration of Minovsky particle radiation coming this way, approximately 2.8 kilometers from our current position. It looks like that the Titans have sent some forward troops to attack us...something like three or four unidentified mobile suits at least. It also seems that there's another heat source slowly moving towards this way and that the other mobile suits serve somewhat as its escorts, Captain.  
  
Bright: I see. Mirai, speed us up a little bit, we're going to meet these bloody bastards midway and wipe them out with what firepower we and our mobile suits have.  
  
Mirai: Roger, Captain.  
  
Bright: Fa, send a signal to the Radish to do the same as well. We will launch our mobile suits in twenty minutes or sooner depending on how fast we get to where the Titans are. Send a signal to the Radish also to launch their mobile suits in five minutes or less after we've launched our own.  
  
Fa: Right, Captain! /Radish, this is the Agama. Be informed that we--/  
  
Mirai: Looks like we'll be duking it out with the Titans sooner than expected, eh Captain?  
  
Bright: It seems so, Mirai.   
  
Mirai: Right. (turns to face outside the Agama's window and sighs a little) That boy, Camille...he's like Amuro, in a way...just like in the old days. Did you notice that, too?  
  
Bright: I've noticed that the first time I've met him, honey. He was just as brash and as much as a prodigy as Amuro was. But somehow...I have this weird feeling that he's much stronger than Amuro than I've expected...  
  
Mirai: Yeah, I...kinda noticed that too. (thinks) I can tell he's feeling scared right now, it's almost as if he's sensing something very big, something...something outright fearful, period.   
  
And yet again, the sun slowly fades away into the horizon as night soon followed and a battle would soon ensue...again, between the renegade AEUG and the just Titans, between the earth's "rebels" and the "rightful" iron hand of the Earth Federation...  
  
...and, one would have to wonder, between right and wrong?  
  
-----  
  
Hayato: /It's impossible that we should wait any longer for Nerv to make their final sortie against the Angel, Captain. Our presence is demanded immediately at Hong Kong, and we, the Kalaba, as one of the AEUG's active hands against the Titans, should be there when the AEUG needs us most. Amuro, I hope you understand./  
  
The face of the leader of the Kalaba forces as shown on the visual communications link connecting the Mont Blanc to the Audomura was as stern and as stringent as his old superior officer in the White Base and the same captain of the Agama. Amuro sensed his old friend's seriousness and just sighed as he scratched his head and looked into Hayato's image in the monitor.  
  
Amuro: Yes, Hayato, I understand. Suppose if Nerv wants to send their Evangelions as support for the AEUG as well, since they are bound to do so by their honorary membership with the AEUG, how will they be able to do that while we're heading for Hong Kong? I mean, we only have the Mont Blanc and the Audomura to transport cargo *that* big and heavy across the sea...  
  
Hayato: /Not to worry, old friend. There will be provided a vintage aircraft carrier to carry the Evangelions across the sea into Hong Kong without any notice of the Federal Forces or the Titans, hopefully. Of course, measures must be taken by Nerv itself to ensure that the Eva's should be in their top class./  
  
Amuro: I see. Well then... (sighs) When do we leave?  
  
Hayato: /We leave for Hong Kong first thing in the morning, Captain, at around 0400 hours. Be prepared until then./  
  
Amuro: I get you.  
  
Hayato: /Well, that's all for the evening. I'll see you tomorrow, Captain--/  
  
Amuro: Wait a sec.  
  
Hayato: /What is it?/  
  
Amuro: How is Frau...I mean, your wife doing? Is she okay with Kikka and Retsu? How are your two other children doing, by the way?  
  
Hayato: (chuckles) /They're doing perfectly fine, Amuro. That's one of the reasons why I came here to Japan in the first place, to relocate them to my ancestral home in Okinawa and let them stay there and.../  
  
Amuro: (chuckles) That's good enough for me. Hayato...one thing, though...  
  
Hayato: /Hmm?/  
  
Amuro: Are you sure Katsu is going to be safe in space with...with Char?   
  
Hayato: (pauses for a short while then sighs) I'm pretty confident that Katsu can hold his own in outer space with Char. I only pray that he will not get into as much trouble as we've already had with the Federation as it is, you get what I mean, man?/  
  
Amuro: Yeah, dude. (pauses for a short while then sighs) Char Aznable of the Zeon, now one of the top officers in the AEUG...it truly seems so short a time that we would all meet again in battle, huh?  
  
Hayato: /.....indeed./  
  
-----  
  
Asuka blinked. It seemed that the boring pipe-in music that she and Shinji had been hearing for the past almost-18 hours had finally come to a much needed (at least to the two of them) stop. The 14-year-old German-Japanese redhead stretched and gleefully led her hand into the big-screen TV's dial while Shinji rolled over from lying down into an upright position, putting his chin over his palms and watched TV along with Asuka.  
  
Asuka: Oh, yeah, finally! Some *real* entertainment! Hmm...if I remember correctly, that cute old soap opera's on at about this time, heh heh heh! Hmm...now if I could only remember what the title was...  
  
Shinji: (boringly) I think it's called "Sazae-san", Asuka. By the way, I didn't know you were into soap operas and stuff like that, I'd thought you'd rather go for--  
  
Asuka: Actually, Shinji, I'm *not* into soap operas and "stuff like that", okay? It just happens that they're preempting Bakuretsu Hunters and Cowboy Bebop for tonight, *so* this is the next best thing to watch for tonight. Eh?  
  
Shinji: Say *what*?! Oh man...w-well, how about that cheap Tokimeki Memorial Drama Series OAV marathon thingy? I hear Volume 3's going to be shown for tonight...  
  
Asuka: (raises an eyebrow and leers at Shinji) *You* watch that Tokimeki Memorial junk? (snickers) Heh, figures...but then, it's no good either. From what *I* hear Toki-Memo's going to be shown NEXT WEEK, not today.  
  
Shinji: Why wouldn't I watch Toki-Memo? It's a nice anime program taken from the popular dating simulation game for that old vintage console Sony Playstation, and it's a good replacement for watching that Fushigi Yuugi crap *you've* been watching. (smirks) Heh, and here I thought I was the only one who's a bit into shojo anime...  
  
Asuka: (face blushes *slightly*) Well *you* shut up! At least I'm not a fan of dating simulation games like the gutless, wimpy dummkopf that you are! (sighs and faces the TV) Schieße...this really sucks, doesn't it?  
  
And so, the two Children watched on in silence at the said soap opera on television. Thirty whole minutes pass, and the program soon rolls its credits, a commercial soon announcing the news program that regularly follows after.  
  
Asuka: Shinji...has it ever crossed you mind that...  
  
Shinji: Hmm?   
  
Asuka: Well...have you been reading some of those old history books about the wars that went on in the...err...Middle Ages? Yeah, most probably the Middle Ages...  
  
Shinji: (rolls his eyes) Asuka, there weren't any "wars" that went on in the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages were a period of reformation in Europe that eventually led off to the Renaissance, a revival of culture and interest in arts from being--  
  
Asuka: No, you bonehead, not *those* Middle Ages *or* the Renaissance, I meant the Middle Ages in the middle early 20th century, haven't you heard of World War II, Shinji? Nineteen forty-five, hello?  
  
Shinji: What about World War II?  
  
Asuka: (sighs and pauses for a short while) Well...remember "der Führer" Adolf Hitler and how he had led...*ahem*... (sighs deeply) ...his Nazi grunts into their infamous rampage throughout Europe and their terrible Holocaust of the Jews just because...they *think* they're the superior race and all that shitty crap that went on during that time?  
  
Shinji: ...yeah, go on...  
  
Asuka: Isn't it quite amazing sometimes that history seems to repeat itself in such weird ways? I mean, if you would remember from your uncle's old newsmagazines back when we still lived in Side 7 about the One-Year War, how the Zabi family-led Duchy of Zeon wanted to gain supremacy "in the name of all spacenoids", if you will, by eliminating the problem--the corrupt grip of the Earth Federation. They thought of this method as the "final solution" to all of "our" problems as spacenoids...apparently, as you might well know, just like the Nazis, the Zeon failed in their attempt for independence and supremacy in our colony system.  
  
Shinji: Yeah, yeah, I know all of that, and eventually back in '83 the Federation made up some...gang or group of jackbooted thugs...err, "elite force", if you will, from within the Federal Forces to quell further anti-Federation movements named the "Titans". What's your point in all of this?  
  
Asuka: Hmph. Well, it seems that history *has* repeated itself once again, but in the form of our cute, precious, little, shrewd bunch of bloody boneheads with cute pink ribbons-on-top Federation elite group, the Titans, what with these "rumors" going on about their gassing of 30 Bunch just because there was another Zeon anti-Federation thingy going on...I would think you'd get the picture, eh? The thing is... (shakes her head) I kinda feel like the Titans aren't there just for enforcement of laws within our immensely large colony system ever since I heard stories from Amuro-san that he'd heard from our AEUG buddies and all that crap. (heads for the refrigerator and opens its door) You want a soda?  
  
Shinji: Y...yeah, get me some chips too. You know what, I feel like the Titans aren't there just for enforcement of laws, either. You'd think they'd want to...kill us all spacenoids off or something, like what the Germans did to the Jews...  
  
Asuka: (stares at Shinji and throws him a soda can and a bag of chips) Shinji, you *have* to be kidding, with your tone of voice I'd almost think you were generalizing Germans to be Nazis as well. If you almost forgot, let me remind you I'm half-German as well and I'll tell you to your freaking ugly face that I'm *not* a Nazi or a sympathizer of the Nazis, all right?  
  
Shinji: (catches the soda can and the bag of chips) Okay, okay! But let me tell you that I'm *not* implicating anything with my "tone of voice", it's just that I'm wondering about what this war with the Titans will all lead to and all. I mean, we *are* involved with the war right now what with that little thing with the Titans a few weeks ago...well, you weren't here when it happened, but still... (munches on the chips) It's inevitable that we should be involved with the AEUG's campaign against the Titans *any* time soon after our battle with the Angel. And I will not be surprised if we'll be branded as rebels or murderers or anything of the sort and...and...if dad would say anything about it at all, or Ayanami...  
  
Asuka: Oh, don't be ridiculous. If us and the rest of Nerv joining the AEUG would help everyone to find out the truth behind all of this bloody war crap *and* if it would, of course, help me show the world how much ability I have as an Eva pilot... (smirks)  
  
Shinji: (rolls his eyes and thinks) Oh, this is just fucking great. I should have seen *this* coming...again...God, she's flaunted her trademark pomposity two times in one day? What a record low...  
  
Asuka: ...then everything would be all right, ne, Shinji-chan?  
  
Shinji: Don't *ever* call me Shinji-chan again.  
  
Asuka: (grins widely and laughs) Aww, but "Shinji-chan" sounds so *cute* on you, you kawaii little scumbag, you! (stretches Shinji's face)  
  
-----  
  
The Agama emerges out of its hiding place in a very large cave somewhere outside Hong Kong and looked as if it was ready for a thousand battles, along with its support battlecruiser Radish following slowly behind. As per her husband's order, Mirai tried to sneak the Agama out of the city and out of the Titans' sights as much as possible, but because a battlecruiser's launch time from the ground was terribly slow, Bright thought it upon himself to risk engaging battle with the Titans even if they didn't want to. Fa's Minovsky particle radar beeped constantly as she sees those same five figures she saw earlier now closing in on them, fast.  
  
Fa: Captain, the five mobile suits detected heading this way seemed to have sped up! Permission to give orders to launch our mobile suits, sir!  
  
Bright: Get to it. See to it that Camille and the others don't go far away from the Agama and keep them close by unless necessary.  
  
Fa: Right, Captain...  
  
-----  
  
Fa: /So that's the plan, Lieutenant Emma, Officer Reccoa, Camille. Do you understand?/  
  
His girlfriend's image on the communications link to the bridge was probably the only relief Camille had from the heavy feeling, that "evil" pressure he had felt inside his head for almost the whole day. Camille sighed, gripping his Gundam's navigating joystick or some other control used to move the mobile suit and looked back at Fa's image in his monitor.  
  
Camille: I'll do my best, Fa. I'll be back as soon as I can.  
  
Fa: /...../  
  
Emma: /Camille, are you sure you're feeling okay? You've been acting...strange ever since you caught up with us this morning in the city. If you'd like you can just rest while we go out there and--/  
  
Camille: I'm okay, ma'am, thanks for the concern...  
  
Emma: /Okay...don't say I didn't warn you./ (cuts off her comm link to Camille)  
  
Reccoa: /This is the first time I've piloted a mobile suit in *weeks* so you better cover me up good, since I'm using just one of our GM-II's, okay Camille? Do you hear me? (sees Camille nod on her visual comm link) Good. But that doesn't mean I couldn't kick ass myself. Just be careful you won't get hit with friendly fire from us *or* the Agama and/or the Radish./ (cuts off her comm link to Camille)  
  
Fa: /Camille...just be careful and come back to me, okay?/ (frowns then cuts off the bridge's comm link to Camille)  
  
A short while later and the Agama's mobile suit docking hull's hatch opened. Three other GM-II's other than Reccoa's positioned themselves onto the launchpad and got ready for takeoff. A few seconds later and Camille can overhear "Officer so-and-so, GM-II launch!" being shouted over their colleagues' radio links to the Agama's battle bridge, although they were a bit faint to begin with. Soon enough it was Reccoa's turn to launch in her GM-II...then Emma, in Quattro's old red Rick Dias...then him, in his white Gundam Mk-II.   
  
Somewhere, at the back of Camille's mind, however, he wondered why the AEUG...and specifically Camille *himself* was getting involved with night battles so often...  
  
Camille: Officer Camille Vidan, Gundam Mark-II, launch!  
  
-----  
  
Shinji was *so* sure Misato was still watching Asuka and himself with a spy camera, even now that the lights were off for most of the pyramidal Nerv HQ. At the back of his mind, he thought, he'd be better off sleeping in his own room in his old Side 7 home, if not his new "home" at Misato's residence. But then, he sighed, and thought it upon himself that this will do, even for the moment.   
  
After all, he had to admit, Asuka *is* a cute girl. No adolescent boy in his right mind would pass up this opportunity to "sleep" with her, even on separate beds. But then, if that cute girl *was* Asuka...he'd rather pass it up.  
  
Shinji lay down on his bed, lingering in the silence that prevailed in the room provided for them in this "special" mission by Nerv courtesy of good old Misato-san. *Well*, not quite *old*, but she was good nonetheless. Heh, Shinji thought, good example of a 29-year-old drunken slob who has this weird thing for keeping a pet penguin, maybe...  
  
He lay his head on his palms, slowly sinking himself in deep thought, as usual, while listening to old 18th-century period classical music, a CD collection of works done mostly by Beethoven and Bach and some other geniuses of classical music at the time. Soon enough, he yawned; he thought it might be best to call it a day and sleep after a hard, grueling day of a dance workout. He took off his mini-earphones and placed his pocket CD player on the table next to his bed. He never thought of saying "good night" to Asuka anymore as he had assumed Asuka had already fallen sound asleep and she probably wasn't one for "good night"'s, especially with *him*, Shinji Ikari, Nerv's special "Third Child"...at least to Asuka.  
  
But as Shinji covered himself with his blanket, he seemed to hear something strange that was just near him. Kind of a peculiar pattern of very faint sounds, he had thought.  
  
Sobs?  
  
...Asuka was crying in her sleep? Strange...but not impossible.  
  
But why?  
  
Asuka: .....*sniff*.....*piffle*.....  
  
Shinji: ..... (thinks) ...talking in her sleep...?  
  
Asuka: M...Ma...Mom...my...*sob*....  
  
Shinji: (thinks) Hmph. Geez...she made fun of *me* so much--and yet she's so obsessed with her own mother herself. What irony...  
  
Asuka: M...mommy...why? Why...did...you...have...to...*die*...?   
  
Shinji: ...!!  
  
Asuka: .....*sniff*...*sob*...  
  
Well, this had turned into an interesting twist, Shinji had thought. Just when you think you know a person...they deceive you with their "mask" of arrogance. But it crossed Shinji's mind just then...that Asuka was a normal girl after all.  
  
-----  
  
Episode 12, "Shall We Dance?"  
-------------------  
  
Emma had just cursed under her breath as she took out two Zaku's; one, with two direct shots of her Rick Dias' beam pistol to the head and the chest cockpit; the other, after the other Zaku-II had attempted to assist its fallen partner but found itself being slashed away by Emma's Rick Dias' beam saber after a well-placed kick and punch. She was a bit used to night battles already since she'd undergone mobile suit battle training in space when she used to be with the Earth Federation's elite force that her opponents were in right now. Emma Sheen just wasn't used to battles in earth's gravity, though, so she took precaution on what might happen to her during this little skirmish with the Titans.  
  
She just wondered why there was a double amount of hostile enemy mobile suits than what Fa had reported that the Agama had sighted to have been coming towards them. Seeing that there was that possibility that three Zaku's were going to team up on Reccoa's GM-II, Emma made a run for it and did a jumping dive for one Zaku, thinking about whether to shoot at it with the remaining ten charges of her beam pistol or to have at it with her beam saber.  
  
Emma: Fricking goddamned creeps, I thought we had only four of these shitheads coming for us! (lands her Rick Dias full force on a Zaku and punches on its head, stomps at it repeatedly, then shoots at its head before shooting at Reccoa's opponents)  
  
Reccoa: /I hadn't really thought about it either, Lieutenant! You know what I think?/ (takes out her beam saber and makes her GM-II do a sweeping kick on an opponent Zaku after slashing at its chest two times) /I would think these quacks have more of them where they came from, and what's more, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd take Hong Kong hostage because of us. Am I right?/  
  
Emma: Maybe. (pants and makes a break for Camille's position after shooting another Zaku near her upside the head) You think little boy blue needs help back there?  
  
Reccoa: /You go on ahead. I might be able to hold on until I run out of my fricking beam gun charges or something. Go *now*!/ (takes out her beam rifle while sniping at another distant Zaku)  
  
"Little boy blue" apparently didn't need any assistance from anyone at the moment; in fact, he was the one who was helping his AEUG comrades out when they were in "dire" situations such as nearly getting their GM-II asses kicked by Titan Zaku-II's and such.   
  
Still, that weird pressure that he had been feeling ever since that morning had slowly been...growing, to put it bluntly, and he had felt that it was getting...real close for his own good. Camille turned his Gundam's head around and saw it--a big, black, stocky, monster-like thing that did not look like a mobile suit at all coming towards his direction.  
  
Camille: That's...that's the pressure I've been feeling... (bites his lower lip and trembles) This is it, the moment of truth...I have to get to that big black Gundam-like thing and kick this fucking pressure out of my head...  
  
Of course, Four wasn't feeling very good either as she slowly made her way to the Agama's direction, what with the little white Gundam about half her own Psyco Gundam's size was coming her way looking like it was going to attack her. Four's reflexes would have to be fast for this time around as she knows that the Psyco Gundam, while being almost impermeable to any attack, was quite shabby when it comes to agility and such. Not that she cared much for agility at the moment anyway, she just wanted to get that ominous pressure out of her head once and for all.  
  
Four: .....that Gundam...I... (starts to sweat lightly) ...why do I feel fear, right now? It's not like I'm going to be defeated...but still...ahh...I... (starts to breathe heavily and makes her pace faster towards the Gundam Mk-II) I don't care, I just...I just...  
  
The pretty young "artificial" Newtype with short teal hair shrieked as her enemy Gundam Mk-II hit home at her Psyco Gundam's shoulders and chest with three beam rifle shots as it headed towards her at a frightening pace, the impact just slightly shaking the frame of her immense mobile suit's chest cockpit. Four gritted her teeth as she tried to gain back her balance and flipped some of one of her joystick's controls, firing the Psyco Gundam's head vulcan gun turrets at the Mk-II's direction, eventually hitting two or three of the enemy Gundam's GM-II companions and destroying them.  
  
Four: (angrily) Stand still, little white Gundam! It will take more than your puny friends to scratch me! Nnnngggraaaahhhh!!  
  
Camille shielded himself from the destructive blasts that ensued from his GM-II allies with his Mk-II's shield, and along with it, the Psyco Gundam's vulcan gun attack from it's big ugly head.   
  
Camille: Tch! No choice than to have at it close-range! If it's one thing I hate, it's close-range battles...but then, I have to...  
  
The white Gundam Mk-II jumped up high in the air using its "backpack" boosters shooting at two or three surrounding Zaku's first before making the coup de grace on the biggest black Titan mobile suit he'd ever seen. Using only his intuition and not caring enough to snipe at them with the crosshairs, Camille used up the last of his beam rifle charges before throwing the said beam rifle itself butt-first into the Psyco Gundam's ugly face.   
  
Four almost never saw the beam rifle throw coming and narrowly swatted it away just in time; that would have been her imminent end if the attack had hit home. Her Newtype-like heightened senses failed her, though, when the little white Gundam had deployed not one, but two beam sabers at once after throwing away its wasted shield and supposedly decided to attack her melee-style. She wasn't to be underestimated, Four whispered under her breath, and deployed her own version of a beam saber--quite a larger one than the standard mobile suit's beam saber, one could say after seeing it.  
  
Camille gasped in surprise as he saw the enemy's *long* "beam saber"--more like a beam sword--come out from under the larger Gundam's forearm and attempted to lunge at him, for which he had successfully blocked with his two inferior beam sabers, referring to their size compared to the Psyco Gundam's own melee weapon. Camille made his Mk-II jump away from the larger Gundam, rebounded off a nearby cliff, and yet again made a diving attack for the Psyco Gundam's head, trying to slash away with two beam sabers and alternatively firing at it with his own seemingly ineffective head vulcan gun shots.   
  
Four: He's coming at me again...! Stubborn little...!  
  
Camille: God damn it! This guy's tough! ...!! What the...?!  
  
To his surprise, Camille found himself almost at the end of a precarious situation as some kind of cannon-like mechanism protruded out of the monstrous enemy Gundam's chest and, as if his opponent was taking aim at him with the chest cannon-like thing, faced him. The enemy Gundam's "eyes" seemed to glow for a split second before the chest cannon fired at Camille with what seemed to look like one of the Agama's main beam cannon attacks.  
  
Camille: Fucking shit, this is *not* good! (gasps and dodges just in time, landing on the ground and rolled back up to his Gundam's feet)  
  
Four: Tch, missed!  
  
As Four had missed her intended target, she hadn't missed any of the Gundam's allies anyway and totally obliterated two more GM-II's. She prepared for another attack with the Psyco Gundam's chest beam cannons, but it would take another forever of a minute to recharge. Just damn her luck, she thought, as the stubborn little white Gundam tried to have at her once again and just *try* to scratch her "invincible" Psyco Gundam.   
  
-----  
  
Bright: Fa, radio Camille to be careful for imminent friendly fire. We are going to try to damage that big Gundam in any way possible so as to help Camille out there. All main cannons, take aim at the enemy and fire!  
  
Fa: Yes, sir! All main beam particle cannons, fire at our target! I repeat, all main beam particle cannons, fire at our target! /Camille, can you read me--/  
  
-----  
  
Another unidentified force was coming at her, she sensed. Four's eyes just widened when she realized she was soon to be in the middle of the enemy ship's main beam particle cannon attack--pity she couldn't just simply dodge in time and avoid the attack, and she took it quite painfully. Her pilot helmet's thought receptors were just a little bit *too* sensitive that any amount of significant damage to the Psyco Gundam would reverberate on her head.  
  
Four screamed in harrowing pain as she took the Agama's main beam particle cannon fire and fumbled for the next move to make, whether to fire at the little white Gundam that was pestering her or eliminate the other evil presence that was the Agama. She cursed under her breath as she found out that the enemy ship was out of range and decided that she should take out all of her enemies *near* her instead. Just as the little white Gundam was going to charge at her again, Four caught its head just in time, pushing it away from her at the right distance so she can have at it with the Psyco Gundam's chest beam particle cannon and...  
  
I am not going to lose, Camille repeatedly told himself, breathing in a deep and hard regular pattern and gathered all of his strength to push back at the big black Gundam with full force. Camille screamed at the top of his lungs as he made his Gundam's feet struggle to push back at the bigger Gundam using the Mk-II's body.  
  
A bloodcurdling scream and what seemed to be a sudden wave of psychic energy was what Four had heard and felt go through her head like a sharp spear when the pint-sized white Gundam forcibly pushed back at her superior-in-size-and-armor Psyco Gundam.  
  
This was definitely not good, Four had thought, and a split-second later, a blanket of fear had soon enveloped her, making her slim youthful frame tremble like a little child scared of a big monster of sorts. She couldn't quite comprehend what immense force that the enemy Gundam had wielded at the time, so she had thought it best that she should fall back...for now. Breathing in and out and obviously terrified, Four wiped off the sweat off her brow and almost fumbled to flip the right controls from within her cockpit to make her escape, what with only one of her Titan mobile suit support squadron was left anyway.  
  
Four: (gulps and breathes heavily) P...pressure...n...no...get away from me...NOOOO!!! Aaaahhhh!!! (struggles to take off her pilot's helmet and ease off her collar)  
  
To Camille's surprise, he saw the immense, stocky, black Gundam transfigure itself into what looked like its mobile armor mode and sped itself out of his presence along with what was left of their enemy Zaku's. For a brief moment, he just stood there, amazed at the events that had happened that night and wondered about his opponent. Somehow, somewhere at the back of his head, he kind of felt his opponent's feelings while he was fighting him.  
  
He could even almost hear what the enemy pilot had been thinking right that instant, although his perception of it was just so...blurry at the moment, maybe it was due to his exhaustion or some other cause. He just shook his head and gulped, heading back for the Agama, slowly sinking deep in thought.  
  
Emma: /Camille, Camille! Thank God you're safe! We have to go back to the Agama immediately for repairs and further orders. On the double, Camille! Camille? Are you listening to me?/  
  
Reccoa: /Just leave him be, Lieutenant...I think he's pretty tired from all of this fighting that's happened. Let's go ahead of him./  
  
Emma: (sighs) /All right, Officer. Camille...I want to talk to you when we get back on the ship, okay? So you can tell me what's wrong and all.../  
  
Camille still kept his silence as the Gundam Mk-II headed on its way back to the AEUG mother ship, still sinking much deeper in thought. It truly was the first time he'd ever been in *this* kind of battles, even though he's been through a lot for the past few weeks from the first time he'd ever gotten employed in the AEUG.  
  
Camille: (thinks) A...a woman...? In that Gundam...?  
  
It was quite a...weird moment for Camille. Sure, he'd gotten into night battles in the past, and he'd even gotten to do dogfights in the darkness of space...but this was different. This was like none he had ever fought before...after he had just *sensed* that this particular pilot was none like he had ever fought before, very unlike that last one he had fought a few weeks--or was it months?--back...  
  
As Camille loosened his pilot suit's collar and took off his pilot helmet, the white Gundam Mk-II still stood there in silence as if it were also lost in thought like its young pilot, not caring enough to notice what was left of his other AEUG comrades heading back to the Agama in quite a hurry.  
  
Fa: /--mille! Camille, do you hear me?!/  
  
The young Newtype's little reverie was broken when Fa's angry/worried voice sort of pierced through his eardrums, the said girl's pissed-off countenance also filling the mini-screen somewhere on his monitor. Camille gulped amidst heavy breaths and turned to look back at Fa's image on his cockpit monitor.  
  
Camille: Huh?! Oh...y...yeah, I hear you...  
  
Fa: (sighs) /You better head back to the ship, Camille. Captain's orders, which I assume you didn't hear for the first time. Camille...are you okay, honey?/  
  
Camille: Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking of something, that's all...  
  
Fa: /...../  
  
Camille: Oh, now don't look at me like that, baby. I'm...I'm perfectly fine, see? (grins)  
  
Fa: /I'll meet you at the dock. Over and out.../  
  
Oh, great...now I've got her worried all over again, Camille thought as Fa's image in a "window" somewhere on his cockpit monitor went off with a little beep. He had thought it best he'd better head on back to the Agama immediately...and just as immediately, he had anticipated that Bright had new orders for them. He just didn't know what those orders were...yet.  
  
-----  
  
The Agama's briefing room was filled with AEUG pilots and personnel alike, and where there was a group of people in a room together, there sure were numerous discussions floating about. These discussions were mostly about what the Captain of the ship has to say; some, about the losses and victory of the last battle; others just wanted to take some rest. Fa, leaving her post to another person on duty at the bridge, was more concerned about Camille's condition than what Captain Bright Noah has to say in a few minutes. Fa hugged Camille tightly as Bright tapped his pointer stick at the head of the table. All murmurs and mumblings died down as the AEUG soldiers present at the briefing room looked at the stern Captain's face and awaited his latest announcement.  
  
Bright: (sighs) It appears that we will be on the run from now on as the Titans have discovered our secret hideout. I am expecting reinforcements to come in any moment now so, as you might have noticed, I have specifically ordered that the Agama and the Radish should head on out of Kowloon's shores immediately and that we should head on over to Aberdeen in this little island over here... (points to something on the map of Hong Kong behind him) If we hurry enough I think we should be able to get there and head on over to the Titans' new base in New Guinea with new supplies and mobile suits. Our Anaheim Electronics informant Stephanie Luo had just called me during our battle and said that some new mobile suits are waiting for us there. The Titans have no knowledge of this movement that we're planning and I would guarantee our safety in getting there provided that the Titans don't strike now as we're on the move. Any questions?  
  
The little room was again full of little soft murmurs going around amongst the AEUG soldiers, pilots and personnel alike. Bright had assumed that he and his few good men will once again be put in an unstable situation like the one that had just taken place. He tapped his pointer hard on the table again, trying to keep order in the room. The voices once again had died down to the Captain's point of order in this meeting.  
  
Bright: I will have silence in this meeting, men. Good. Now, we *won't* go to New Guinea right away after landing in Aberdeen as we *will* be re-supplied with our necessities and hopefully, from what Miss Luo had told me, upgrade our current mobile suits' respective performances and whatnot. So that means, we will have to stay for another little while here in Hong Kong City while watching out for our asses in hopes that the Titans won't find us or pursue us. I know this thing's risky, but it's a necessary risk. Besides, I'm confident that the Titans won't find out right away where we're headed *or* what we're about to do where we're headed anyway. And I'm confident too that at our current state we can still hold out on our own. (sighs) Look alive, ladies. See it this way: at least the AEUG, despite having close calls in the past as we've seen, still hasn't been quelled by the Titans. I don't know if it's just that the Federation hasn't done its homework or we're just lucky. Let me remind you people that the Titans may strike at any time, so be on your guard if ever there will be an emergency. This meeting is dismissed, men.  
  
Murmurs resumed among the AEUG's top brass as they each went back to their respective positions in the Agama, taking into mind their captain's little speech that had just finished. Emma gazed at Camille for a short while, but didn't bother to talk to him as she's rather leave him alone with Fa for a while.   
  
Reccoa: Camille seems...a little bit off after that little fight he had with that enormous Gundam, huh?  
  
Emma: "A little bit off" is quite an understatement... (sighs) I wish I could help him, but ever since that battle, he's kind of like...well, more secretive of what he's feeling than he usually is...  
  
Reccoa: Hmm. I wonder...  
  
-----  
  
A mere soft hug and a gentle kiss on the lips were the last things Camille have had from Fa for that evening, he had thought as he lay down on his personal quarters somewhere in the Agama. His little round "friend" Haro imitated Camille by staring at him silently and curiously as his "master" stared at the night sky silently and despondently as well. But then, Camille had no time for idle games with Haro for the time being, that's why he had put the ingenious little green ball of AI on "silent" mode.  
  
Camille sighed. All throughout the past hours he thought of nothing but that...woman inside the larger Gundam's cockpit. If it weren't for his quick senses as a Newtype, he certainly would have been killed...but then, that's not the issue. That pilot seemed...scared, to say the least. But why? Camille asked himself.   
  
Was she really scared of him?  
  
Had his..."powers" gone to be so fearsome, after being in conflict with the Titans for quite a short time?  
  
More importantly...will this ever be the last time he'd meet her again in battle? The young Newtype, shaking his head, just tucked himself into bed and hugged a pillow beside him. This was definitely not the last time they'd meet in the battlefield...or out of it.  
  
-----  
  
It was Sunday, early morning--4:00 in the morning exactly, when Shinji got up from his bed and, as usual, made his daily routine of cleaning himself before going out into the world lest he look like a deranged pervert--at least in Asuka's opinion, that is.  
  
This was funny, he thought. He was actually duped into "living" with Asuka for the time being just for this particular anti-Angel operation, and worse than that, he didn't give any consent to it either. Well, it wasn't as if living with Asuka *was* a big deal, he thought, I mean, she *was* a family friend ever since he was but a wee infant. Of course, he had also thought, those memories weren't *all* good, even though she was, for the most part, saving his ass when he was in trouble. But then, he was just a little bit glad that it was Asuka. At least he knows her quite well now...  
  
Shinji: (thinks and remembers Asuka crying from last night) ...do I?  
  
The Third Child shivered as he finished peeing into the toilet bowl, washed his hands then washed his face with soap and water. Picking up a random glass from two inside a mirror cabinet, he soon brushed his teeth and looked at his visage in the mirror in front of him.  
  
He looked at himself quite carefully, then stopped brushing his teeth to stare at himself some more. It wasn't as if he had forgotten to remove something dirty from his face, nor was it as if he just wanted to make a fool of himself of being "handsome" in front of a mirror.  
  
As much as he would hate to admit it, but as the days go by, he was slowly but surely noticing his wretched father's facial features coming out of him. Great, he thought. This is just great...now I have to look at Dad's face whenever I look at the mirror...  
  
But then, he noticed something different as he gazed on at his visage in the mirror, toothpaste suds barely coming out of his mouth and all, making him look like a madman. He didn't really look at all like his father, he realized...and then, after spitting out the stuff inside his mouth, he smiled a little. He just realized that he, more or less, "saw" his mother in him.  
  
Shinji: Mom...I wonder what she looked like, when she was still alive...I could barely remember...but it was just seven years ago when we had last met, I'd guess... (sighs)  
  
He then gasped in surprise, his still-unharnessed Newtype senses going off again, but this time, it was quite the wrong time for it. He gulped as soft, heavy footsteps came up behind the bathroom door. No, it couldn't be a thief, Shinji thought, Nerv security was too smart for thieves at a place like this. He then thought...  
  
Shinji: (sighs and thinks) Oh, great. She *had* to come here at a wrong time. (turns around) Asuka, I'm still busy here, go awa--what the hell?!   
  
Yes, there she was; the redhead apparently had her arms raised forward, and her face seemed *really* scary, although her eyes were closed...at least to Shinji, that is. Well, not *that* scary, actually...more like silly, as she still has that gross flaky stuff on her eyes and she was salivating, too. God, from egotistical prodigy to sleep-talker to sleepwalker...what more surprises could probably beset him from living with Asuka?  
  
Asuka: Zzzzzzz......braaaaaaiiiiinssssss........  
  
Shinji: Oh, God. (rolls his eyes and thwaps his head)  
  
-----  
  
It was at the same time that the Mont Blanc was on its way to Hong Kong, more specifically, to Aberdeen, after Amuro had made apologies to Misato that he couldn't help Nerv in their problems with the Angel for the time being. He explained that it was an order of urgency for the Mont Blanc's presence from Captain Bright Noah himself and that Hayato Kobayashi, his "slightly" superior officer in the Kalaba, would provide transportation for the Eva's if they were at all needed by the AEUG at any time. But that transportation wouldn't have to be the Audomura itself, he explained further, but some other vessel that the Evangelions would fit in.  
  
Misato had just agreed with a sad sigh on the phone, and after finishing their call, Amuro had ordered that the Mont Blanc should immediately prepare for launch, which they did at around twelve minutes past 1:00--about the same time that Camille had fought the gigantic ebony Psyco Gundam. It was now 4:19, Sunday morning.  
  
Amuro: How much more time till we get to Hong Kong?  
  
Shiro: My navigator tells me we should be there at around two more hours, sir.  
  
Amuro: Couldn't we speed up just a little bit?  
  
Shiro: I'm afraid we can't, sir. This is about as fast and as high as we can get without the Federation or the Titans noticing our presence due to the high concentration of Minovsky particles that we have been emitting to cover our tracks. And besides, we have to keep up with the Audomura's speed so as not to leave it like a sitting duck for the Titans, sir.  
  
Amuro: Damn. Anyway, that's just fine, if we can get to Hong Kong at this rate. (sighs) if it's not one thing, it's the other, eh?  
  
Shiro: I guess so, sir.  
  
Amuro: Hmm... (looks at Shiro for a while) You haven't been to space, haven't you, sir?  
  
Shiro: (relaxing in his captain's chair) Never been to space, Captain. Why do you ask?  
  
Amuro: (looks out the bridge's windows) I was just wondering, that's all. You *do* know we'll be involved in space combat one of these days, right sir? I mean, you've only worked on your abilities as a land fighter in a mobile suit rather than immersing yourself in zero-G environment, as from what I've seen in your records, right?  
  
Shiro: I know that, sir. I don't think I'll ever get used to space combat in a mobile suit, but I'll see what I can do.  
  
Amuro: ...right. Oh, by the way...how's your wife...Aina's her name, is it? Aina Sakhalin, once a Zeon pilot like Ensign MacKenzie's fiancé Bernard Wiseman...where's your family staying, by the way?  
  
Shiro: Oh, she's fine. She and my twins are staying over in our home in Pasig City, somewhere in the Philippines. (chuckles) Heh heh, we'll be having our second child this March, you know. Oh, look, here... (gets something from his pocket and gives Amuro a small photo from his wallet)  
  
Amuro: (takes the photo) Fraternal twins, huh? Hey, your wife looks really swell, doesn't she? Are you sure she's just...ummm...twenty-eight, twenty-nine years old, is it?  
  
Shiro: Heh, yeah...come to think of it, Captain, I haven't seen you with any girl lately. I hope you don't mind me asking you this, but...as someone older than you, Captain, I really think you should go out with that nice girl with the black hair in Nerv. She seems such a nice match for you, even though she's older than you are. I don't know, it's just a gut feeling that I have. What do you say, Captain?  
  
Amuro: Ummm... (gulps and chuckles) I don't think my lovelife's going to be the issue here again...eh heh heh...  
  
Chris: Ooh, he's blushing at the mere *description* of the goddess of Nerv, Miss Misato Katsuragi! I wonder...hey sempai, as someone who's older than you I would agree to the old man's suggestion here! Why don't you just go on and hit on her like you've been fantasizing about for the past weeks?  
  
Amuro: "Fantasizing"?! What the hell do you mean? And I won't "hit" on Misato because she's already got that ex-boyfriend of hers hanging around her anyway and in the first place I already have a lot to worry about as in the field of being in love with the opposite sex, okay?! Geez!  
  
Chris: Well, then, sempai, why are you overreacting?  
  
Amuro: .....take a hike, Chris. Just walk away, VERY far away from me...I am not going to have another one of these arguments, okay?  
  
Chris: (pouts) Spoilsport!  
  
Shiro: Oh, brother. (whaps his head and does an acerbic grin) Would you two just stop bickering like two kids and try to figure out what we'd do if we ever do get near China and ultimately, to Hong Kong? Jesus Christ...  
  
Amuro: You heard the guy, Christina. (raises an eyebrow and stares at Chris)  
  
Chris: Hmph! (sighs) Okay, okay. As long as Amuro-sempai lets me in on the plans even though I'm not really qualified as I *am* just one of the Kalaba's and/or the AEUG's ensigns--  
  
Amuro: All right, all right, come on over here. Now listen carefully...  
  
-----  
  
Two more days, Misato thought. Two more days till Shinji and Asuka will have to fight the Angel once again, but this time, the Kalaba won't help them. It's all fine, she told herself, it's as if they'd need the Kalaba anyway to finish this operation...although she *was* a bit saddened that Amuro wasn't around--no, no, she's not in love with Amuro, she's in love with--  
  
Kaji: Two more days, huh?   
  
Misato: Huh? Oh, yeah...two more days...I wonder how we'll do against the Angel this time, even without the Kalaba or the AEUG...  
  
Kaji: Ahh, don't worry. It's not as if even the latest mobile suit models' weapons would be able to pierce through an Angel's A.T. field anyway...unless of course, we have some Newtypes on our side, hmmm?  
  
Misato: (nods) Right...all right, you two, enough with the warm-ups. Let's do the same routine as before, okay? One, two, three...  
  
Asuka and Shinji take their respective starting poses for their synchronized dance as their two older superiors and strangely enough, Rei, watch on inside a certain Nerv mini-gym. As the two danced on for the first few seconds, it was okay, but the two Children got a little off-rhythm from each other. Misato just shook her head and clapped her hands as a signal for Asuka and Shinji to stop what they were doing.  
  
Misato: Okay, stop that! (sighs) Shinji, pay attention to the music! You're *still* being too self-conscious.  
  
Shinji: O...okay, sorry...  
  
Misato: Asuka.  
  
Asuka: Yes, ma'am--  
  
Misato: (crosses her arms) How many times do I have to *tell* you *not* to leave Shinji behind?! Try to *synchronize* your pace with Shinji's next time, all right?  
  
Asuka: I can't do *that*--you're asking me to lower my abilities to *Shinji's* level! Shouldn't *he* be getting in synch with *me*? (looks at Rei) Besides...why has the First--I mean, Ayanami--been watching us since yesterday? It distracts me...how am I supposed to concentrate?  
  
Misato: Hmm. Fine, then. Rei...  
  
Rei: Yes.  
  
Misato: Could you try for a sec instead of Asuka?  
  
Rei: Yes. (walks towards Shinji's direction)  
  
Both Shinji and Asuka were quite surprised with this turn of events. Use Rei instead of Asuka? They both thought. What was Misato thinking in doing this?! Rei soon assumed the starting position of the dance, and a few seconds later, Kaji turned on the music as soon as it had been rewound.  
  
This...was quite an interesting sight, for Asuka, at least. Why was Ayanami shadowing Shinji so...so...perfectly? What was it that she had done wrong? She was doing it the *right* way, why does the First follow *Shinji* when she cannot? No, it had to be...it has to be...  
  
Misato: Ahh, good form, Rei and Shinji! (glares over at Asuka slightly) If Unit-00 weren't being repaired...we'd pair Rei with Shinji without a second thought.  
  
Asuka: .....fine. Why not just send her in my Unit-02, then?  
  
Misato: Asuka?  
  
Asuka: ..... (runs out of the room) Excuse me...!  
  
Misato and Shinji: Asuka!  
  
It took about around two seconds of silence in the room for Misato to act as if she was pulling her hair off and scream in an angry/worried tone of voice. Kaji just sighed and leaned against the wall behind him, turning his head from the door that Asuka had just gone through to Shinji's general direction.  
  
Misato: GAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! We don't have time for *this*! Geezus...so much for the jealousy gambit...!  
  
Kaji: Shinji...what are you still doing here? Go after Asuka.  
  
Shinji: What...? B--but...  
  
Kaji: (chuckles) This is *your* job too, after all.  
  
And so, Shinji did go after the pissed-off Asuka after five or so minutes of looking for her, finding her sitting down inside a certain gazebo in an open veranda somewhere outside the gym room they were in just earlier. He walked over to her, but he kept her distance from her so as to save his ass from the redhead's wrath, so to speak. Asuka hugged her knees and pouted as she sensed Shinji's presence, but not quite in a Newtype kind of sensory perception. It was more like she heard his footsteps coming up behind her.  
  
Shinji: (sighs after a long pause and looks around) This...Geofront is almost no different from the colony, huh? Artificial day and night, lush greens, you name it...it's all here. Heh...  
  
Asuka: .....  
  
Shinji: The only difference is that we're bound by Earth's natural gravity instead of being almost always being in zero-G and that this Geofront isn't really as populous as where we came from. Don't you just miss being in space, Asuka? I know I do. (leans against one of the gazebo's posts and sighs) I miss all of our friends in the colony. I miss those times when my uncle would just make us some special sushi and green tea. I miss all that floating around like silly idiots and everything, I'm sure you remember all those times when we--  
  
Asuka: What do *you* want? Why did *you* follow me?  
  
Shinji: (looks at Asuka) Hmm...sorry about that... (thinks and gulps) Uh oh. I don't know what to say...  
  
Asuka: ...why am I the one to get yelled at? I'm doing it *perfectly*. *You're* the bumbling klutz. *You're* the slowpoke. Why take it out on *me*?!  
  
Shinji: ...sorry. I'm doing my best, really... (sighs) Maybe if you *relaxed* more...  
  
Asuka: ...!!  
  
Shinji: Sure, you're good at piloting your Eva, and you've graduated from college already at 14, but...you're still just a kid, just like everyone else.  
  
Asuka: (turns towards Shinji and stands up) Are you trying to give *me* advice?!  
  
Shinji: Advice? Not really. But don't you get *tired* of it? Pretending you're Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes in front of Misato or Kaji...it's just so...unnatural, you know? You don't have to force yourself...  
  
Asuka: Oh, shut *up*! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!! (points a finger at Shinji) You have NO right to say this to me! Who the hell do you think you are?!  
  
Shinji: Sorry. It's just that...I used to be like that too, so I understand.  
  
Asuka: YOU?! Understand ME?! What a laugh!  
  
Shinji: .....  
  
Asuka: .....  
  
Shinji: Sorry. (turns around and walks away from Asuka and sighs) I'll go back now. If you need me I'll just be in our room. Heh...as if you'll "need" me now, anyway...oh well, later, then...  
  
And all that Asuka could do was stare at the ground, thinking about what had just happened. It was very...unnatural of Shinji as well, to give her..."advice", she had thought. And as something inside her conflicted with her scarred pride, Kaji just looked at the two Children from afar and puffed a smoke with a little grin on his face. Heh, he thought, children these days...  
  
Asuka looked up at the Geofront's artificial "sky" and once again, sitting down, hugged her knees close, sinking slowly into deep thought about all that has happened in just the wee hours of the morning.  
  
Shinji, you big idiot, she thought. You *don't* understand how I feel...  
  
-----  
  
Mirai: You know, Bright...I was just wondering if...  
  
Bright: (looks up from under his desk) Hmm? Hathaway, Quess, don't play with those books. Those are not mine you know...if you happen to damage any of those, Commander Brex will--  
  
Mirai: Children, don't make any mess in this room, okay?  
  
The boy in question looked up from the book he was reading with Quess and Cheimin and pouted. Quess, though, didn't really seem to mind her boyfriend's mother's remark as she continued to read through one of Brex's books inside his office, something apparently titled "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring". Cheimin also looked like she was taking interest in what her brother's girlfriend was reading, so she read on.  
  
Hathaway: But mom, dad, we aren't doing anything *really* rowdy in this room! Well...at least, not yet, but well...dad, your supreme commander seems to have quite an interesting trove of books here and everything...  
  
Quess: Ho-hum...Captain sir, I don't mean to be rude, but hasn't your commander heard of CD-ROM's and stuff like that? I mean, we're in the Universal Century right now, year 0087 even!   
  
Bright: Well, it just seems that our supreme commander is a low-tech guy and I couldn't do anything about it, all right? And even if I did, well, I know people like these, they tend to be really stubborn, you know?   
  
Cheimin: But Daddy, can we at least just sit down on the couch over there and read his books? (nudges Quess with and elbow softly) You know very well that Hathaway and I love to read books and "all that stuff"...  
  
Quess: (blinks and looks at Cheimin) Hey!  
  
Bright: All right, all right. Just don't disturb me, okay?  
  
As the three children each went diving into that couch in question, Bright finally found the pencil he was looking for after a few minutes. He almost yelped as he bumped his head under the table standing up and finally getting back to his chair.   
  
Mirai: (gasps and rubs her husband's head) Are you sure you're all right, honey?  
  
Bright: (chuckles) Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Weren't you saying something earlier?  
  
Mirai: Well, like I said, I was just wondering if the Titans would follow us all the way to our destination point or anything of the sort. As per both of our experiences in the Federation I'd think the Titans had already tapped into our communications lines and already known of our plans, right?  
  
Bright: I'm expecting that. I'm not really fully depending on our current firepower anymore as I'd estimate we've exhausted a lot of it when we were fighting in the mainland a little bit earlier, but I'd still think we'd hold our own even for a little bit longer. Or...at least until Amuro and the others come.  
  
Mirai: (sighs) You know what, I'm even worried that Amuro and the others might be captured and taken hostage just because they want us to surrender or something like that...  
  
Bright: What with these current developments, I wouldn't be surprised if the Titans would take anyone hostage just to make the AEUG surrender, even if that isn't really following standard military protocol. And I'd doubt if they'd resort to hostage taking at a really public level as the whole world and her colonies know that the Titans *are* the Earth Federation's right hand. God knows what these bloody bastards are up to.  
  
Mirai: In any case, I'm glad your navigator Mr. Torres is already up and well, although I can still feel a fever from him...well, you know, I just feel like it's the old days again and I kind of feel a responsibility of being a "mother" to your crew...  
  
Bright: You know what, I was just wondering why you four people are in Hong Kong anyway and what you're doing here.  
  
Mirai: (blinks) Have you forgotten already? We live here, silly.  
  
Bright: Oh...right. I knew that. (picks up his phone receiver when he sees its little red bulb blinking) Yes? ...okay, I'll be there. (ends his call) I have to get back to the bridge immediately, want to come with me, honey, kids...?  
  
Mirai: (shrugs) Well, if it's okay with you, I guess...I'd think it'd be best, though, if the kids would stay here. I wouldn't really want them to get into any trouble while they're in the bridge. (turns to the three children) Quess, Hathaway, Cheimin, we'll be going to the bridge for a while, okay? Don't make any mess while you're staying right here in this room, okay?  
  
Quess: Yes, Mrs. Noah...  
  
Hathaway and Cheimin: Yeah, mum...!  
  
As the old couple went out the room apparently talking about some matters involving moving out into space again someday, the three children sneaked towards the automatic sliding door and opened it just slightly to see if they were gone. When they did confirm that they were gone, though, they all sighed almost in unison.  
  
Quess: (frees her hair of her ponytails and scratches her head) Geez, your mum doesn't have to treat us like kids all the time! We're mature already to know when to mess around and when not to mess around...  
  
Hathaway: I guess so...  
  
Cheimin: Hey, I have an idea, you two. Have you both ever wondered what the inside of a battleship is? (grins) I have. Heh heh heh.  
  
Quess: You mean you want us to go around this ship and see the sights while not being seen by your folks? (grins) That would be great, Cheimin! What do you say, Hathaway? Don't tell me you're too chicken to just merely be taking a tour around your daddy's ship! (grabs Hathaway's hand and drags him)  
  
Cheimin: Yeah, don't be such a party pooper, you big bonehead! (grabs Hathaway's other hand and drags him) Come on, it'll be fun!  
  
Hathaway: Well...okay...but you two better not blame me if mum and dad would see us anywhere outside this room...geez, you two are such tomboys, you know that?  
  
Cheimin: (snorts) Heh...  
  
Quess: (baps Hathaway on the noggin) Well, *excuse* me for being such a tomboy, Hathaway Noah! We just don't want to stay on this ship and be bored all day now, do we?   
  
Quess and Cheimin look at each other, did a high-five, and giggled as Hathaway just gulped and went along to his sister's and his girlfriend's still-unrevealed wily plans. After all, he did always want to know what a space-type battlecruiser looked like from the inside...  
  
-----  
  
Four felt like her head was going to split in half as she woke up from a dream that she had immediately forgotten as soon as she had opened her eyes. As she was about to rise up from her bed, however, someone very familiar stopped her from doing so. As her vision cleared, she saw it was her doctor who stopped her. Four couldn't make out what her doctor was saying at first, but it all became clear to her a few moments later as she regained her consciousness of the world around her.  
  
Namica: --so you see, we have to keep you here until you're at your full capabilities again. We'll be administering some of your medicine a little bit later after you've eaten your meal. (smiles at Four and holds her hand) You're going to be all right, Four. I promise you.  
  
Four: (nods weakly) ...okay...  
  
Namica: (puts Four's food tray at her lap) I'll be back in a while.  
  
The mysterious woman just blankly watched her doctor leave the room and sighed as she started to playfully fidget at her food. Somehow, she felt her "own self" had been "restored" to her the moment she had woken up. But then, Four still doesn't have any memories of any past she might have had, save that first moment she had "woken up" at her doctor's lab.   
  
"Four Murasame"...she had thought. What a weird name for her to have. What a weird name for someone to actually give it to her. Somehow, at the back of her head...she felt that this wasn't the real "her".   
  
She hated her name.  
  
She hated herself for being deprived of her own memories.  
  
She hated the people who gave her name to her, and who promised her that they would bring her memories back...they were still unfulfilled promises, she thought, as she stared at her ceiling and lingered in the deafening silence of the infirmary room she was in.  
  
Four: (softly) What an ugly ceiling...  
  
But she had to obey them, no matter what. She had to obey them, even if she didn't want to.  
  
She had to get into that wretched black machine again, to have her "own self" robbed from her once again, to follow her superiors' orders once again, for a cause she didn't even care to think or worry about.  
  
Just because of a promise that these very same people will bring back her memories to her as soon as she defeats...  
  
...as soon as she defeats...  
  
As soon as she defeats the one who has touched her mind so deeply, it scared the bejesus out of her the last time she had met him. Yes, the pilot of that little white Gundam, her...her enemy.  
  
Her "enemy"? She wondered.  
  
This artificial Newtype..."strengthened human"...had never been so free ever since she had encountered this..."enemy" of hers.  
  
Four: ...I...I must find him, that Gundam pilot...I must...find the answers to my questions. But then... (sighs) I'll still have to stay here, I'll have to play along to their stupid games...again...  
  
She just hugged her blanket and wiped her tears with it.  
  
-----  
  
Misato just scratched her head in frustration as Ritsuko's fingers tapped on at her laptop's keyboard, just on the brink of finishing some reports for the "upstairs people" at Nerv and as Kaji put a mug of coffee in front of Misato. It had just been a very taxing turn of events for Misato that Sunday morning, much more when she had expected Asuka to come back since it was already 2:00 in the afternoon, but she didn't. As she stared at the mug of coffee in front of her, Misato just sighed as she put her chin over her palms, her elbows resting on a table in front of her.  
  
Misato: So Asuka didn't come back, after all...the battle is tomorrow, but they're still not in harmony with each other. Heh, what a disaster.  
  
Ritsuko: Mmm-hmm. (turns off her computer and looks through some papers on a clipboard)  
  
Misato: Maybe we should go with the Shinji-and-Rei idea, what do you think? Well...it'd be quite risky, though...  
  
Ritsuko: Shall we do a run-up for Rei and Unit-00?  
  
Kaji: (rubs his chin and grins slightly) No. It's still too early for that. One more night, Professor Akagi...one more night. Sometimes that's all it takes, you know?  
  
-----  
  
After much caution in getting to the island just off the mainland coast of Hong Kong, the Agama and the Radish finally land somewhere in Aberdeen, a certain town in Hong Kong. Lucky for Bright and his crew, the secret hideout that Stephanie Luo had provided for the AEUG was quite well hidden in this little town, so at least for the time being the AEUG can wait while being re-supplied with new ammunition and of course, as promised, new mobile suits. As per Bright's order (and Stephanie Luo's suggestion), the Agama and the Radish hid themselves within some dense woodland in Aberdeen's vicinity.  
  
But then, oddly enough (at least to Bright and Fa), Camille didn't go out and try the Zeta Gundam for himself just yet, which the people who had known him would expect him to be very exuberant in seeing his hard work "come to life", so to speak. Like what he had told Bright and Fa, he needed some time to "breathe in some fresh air", so to speak, before promptly heading for his motorcycle and leaving (though, not without Hathaway, Cheimin, and Quess who begged Camille to come along with him). Fa was worried most of all, for Camille seemed to spend a lot less time with her lately as well, what with something bothering her boyfriend at the moment. Whatever it was, Fa can only wish she knew.  
  
Bright: ...wait a minute, Hathaway and Cheimin. You too, Quess. Didn't your mother and I tell you to stay in my office? These woods can be dangerous, and what's more, you'd never know if the Titans *have* followed us here or not!  
  
Camille: We'll be all right, Captain. (shows his AEUG-issue .45 caliber pistol) Although we're all practically the same age here, I'd think we could pretty much take care of ourselves. Besides, I'd think your kids and Quess here need some fresh air too or something, you know?  
  
Bright: (whaps his own forehead) Jesus Christ, Camille...okay, I'll let you go. But you better take *good* care of my kids and Quess, all right?  
  
Hathaway: Don't worry, dad! We'll be fine.  
  
Fa: (softly) ...Camille...  
  
Camille: (stares at Fa silently for a second then looks up to Bright) We'll be back in a short while, don't worry, Captain...take care of yourself, Fa... (rides off with the motorcycle with the three children on "piggyback")  
  
Even for layman's eyes, the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam was truly a remarkable piece of equipment if there ever was one. The AEUG engineers who did a test run on its performance were truly impressed as they had given some reports to the Agama's captain for observation.  
  
AEUG engineer A: Captain, sir, this is quite a piece of work that Camille's done, if what I've been hearing is true that he personally engineered this baby's capabilities and all...  
  
Fa: (sighs and looks at the Zeta from head to foot) .....  
  
Bright: (looks at Fa briefly and sighs) Y...yes, indeed. (looks through a clipboard of the Zeta's mechanical specifications)  
  
AEUG engineer B: (harnesses himself down from the Zeta's cockpit) I would have to admit that Camille did quite an excellent job of combining the RX-178 Gundam Mark-II's mobility and speed with our very own MSA-009 Rick Dias' armor and firepower. With this thing, I'd bet we can win this war against the Titans as soon as possible!  
  
Bright: We couldn't be too sure of that yet. Remember, this is the "Earth Federation's right hand" and God knows what kinds of mobile suits they've been developing under *our* noses to quote Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina. I'm sure you can all remember that big black Gundam we've fought last night and I'd *really* hate it if I could see a thousand of those tearing us apart. In any case, take care of the Zeta while Camille's not around, all right?  
  
AEUG engineers A and B: Yes, Captain! (salutes Bright and gets back to their work)  
  
Bright: (looks at Fa) Are you all right, Fa?  
  
Fa: (looks back at Bright sadly) Do I look like I'm all right, Captain?  
  
Bright: No need to snap back at me like that rudely, Fa. Camille just needs some time alone for the time being, you know? Maybe he's just tired and all, I'm sure you haven't been able to have a decent rest ever since we've gone on the run from Florida. Come on, why don't I treat you and Mirai for a drink at the canteen, all right?  
  
Fa: (nods weakly) I guess so, Captain...it's just that...Camille and I...haven't gotten to talk to each other much lately, and I'm really, really worried for him...it feels as if though he's slowly slipping away from me...  
  
Bright: I'm sure we can have a decent conversation with the Mrs. for that kind of situation. Let's just head back to the bridge and pick Mirai up from there, all right? And cheer up, for heavens' sakes...  
  
-----  
  
Shinji had been bored out of his wits for that day, rummaging through what little luggage Asuka had brought for this "mission" and the shelves and corners of their little room for any more DVD's or video tapes or *anything* he might get his hands on. So far, he only found a few "Ayashi no Ceres", "Dragon Ball Z", and "Card Captor Sakura" tapes he'd managed to dig up from Asuka's stuff and a few DVD's some newfangled anime called "Hunter X Hunter" and "Berserk" somewhere in the room. Shinji was quite a bit surprised at the fact that his childhood friend had some interest in shojo anime such as the ones he had just found; it was then that he once again realized how little he knew Asuka. He wasn't surprised at finding a Dragon Ball Z tape in Asuka's trash, however, as he had expected Asuka actually liked, well, anime with generally an action theme.  
  
He shook his head at the thought that Asuka, since he had theorized that she liked shojo anime, might also like yaoi anime. He then shivered and told himself, nah, Asuka couldn't eve POSSIBLY like yaoi anime...  
  
In any case, to help eliminate his boredom, Shinji popped in the "Berserk" DVD into the player and started watching good old medieval hack-and-slash action anime. Never had he seen such remarkable stuff ever since he had seen the Slayers marathon that the local movie theater did when he was still living in a Side 7 colony as a kid. This is neat stuff, he thought, as he finished the last of three DVD discs and had thought of watching that "Hunter X Hunter" OAV thing next. Shinji was unaware, though, that Misato and Kaji were still watching him from a certain hidden camera somewhere in the room.  
  
His thoughts also kind of wandered over to how this kind of anime had survived through the years, even though it *was* U.C. 0087 and all. Oh well, he told himself, if anime made from around a hundred years ago was THIS interesting anyway, why not? He just grinned as he pictured himself being tutored by Asuka about how the whole Universal Century calendar started and all that, with the year 2040 AD roughly being U.C. 0000...  
  
Shinji nodded as he calculated it all by himself. That would make U.C. 0087 roughly equivalent to 2127 AD. Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm. Wow.  
  
Anyway, enough of math, Shinji told himself as he looked at the clock on the wall. "4:32 PM," it said. It was really getting late now, he told himself. Where the heck was Asuka? Shinji began to worry if Misato's "hare-brained battle tactics" of putting him and Asuka under one roof for a few days while making them move in synchronization with each other was really worth it. He soon threw popcorn at the assassin Killua Zoldick's...or was it Sakura Kinomoto's?...face on the TV screen out of frustration for his old friend and sighed.  
  
Shinji: (lies down on his bed and turns off the DVD player, listening to the same "boring" pipe-in training music) Asuka's not back yet. I wonder where she went... (sighs) Maybe I said too much. I always make things worse...  
  
-----  
  
Misato: Tsk, tsk, tsk. (shakes her head and stares at the hidden camera monitor) "One night", you said. "One night is all that it takes," said the great Ryouji Kaji. I mean, look. Asuka's still not there. Man, am I gonna get my ass fried this time...  
  
Kaji: Hmm... (puffs his cigarette and puts it out) Asuka can get through with this, I'm sure of it. No need to be so grouchy, my li'l cute Misa-chan. (grins)  
  
Misato: You call me "Misa-chan" again, I'll break your--  
  
Kaji: See, what did I tell you? Asuka's already back. (points to the hidden camera monitor)  
  
Misato: (fumbles for the monitor) Oh my God...she's back...  
  
-----  
  
Shinji gasped in surprise and rose from his bed as fast as he could as he saw Asuka just come through the doorway and into their room. Her countenance, as Shinji stared at it seemed a little more...composed and momentous than she'd ever been. Shinji gulped in anticipation as Asuka's eyes rolled over to his line of vision and met his gaze.   
  
Shinji: Asuka...  
  
Asuka: (grins evilly) ...you think you can just *say* things to me?  
  
Shinji: (heart skips a beat in horror) Uh-oh...  
  
To his surprise, though, Shinji's eyes almost bugged out at the sight he was about to see. Asuka didn't walk over to Shinji and beat him up as he had expected; instead, she walked over to some corner of the room, leered at something above her that looked like a mere loudspeaker...  
  
And then, leaping up into the air, she smashed the "loudspeaker" with a kick and a yelp. Shinji examined the debris that ensued from Asuka's attack at the "loudspeaker".  
  
Shinji: A spy camera?! Asuka, what the heck are you trying to do?!  
  
Asuka: (leers at Shinji and crosses her arms) Isn't it obvious? Training, Shinji. Training.  
  
-----  
  
The last thing that Misato saw on the monitor was Asuka's peering gaze, and *boom*, she had just lost any further visual on the two Children. Nothing but static, so to speak. Misato clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as she stood up.  
  
Misato: What the hell?! (starts to rush out the room) I'm going to check on them--  
  
Kaji: (catches Misato's arm as she was about to rise) Now wait a minute there, Katsuragi. Let's just leave them alone...it would just be awkward if you went up there and--  
  
Misato: What?! You act like you know what the hell they're up to!  
  
Kaji: (suddenly puts his arm around Misato's waist and grins slightly) Don't make such a scary face! Hmm...we can..."enjoy" ourselves here, Katsuragi. We're all alone, you know. (caresses Misato's cheeks and closes in for a kiss and softly says...) Mmmm...it's been years since we...  
  
Misato: .....!! (then out of nowhere, slaps Kaji HARD)  
  
Kaji: (rubs his cheek) That hurt.  
  
Misato: (gets back to her chair looking and feeling REALLY pissed off) It was *supposed* to, you dumbass! What makes you think I've forgiven you?!  
  
Still rubbing his cheek, Kaji just grinned as he stared at his ex-girlfriend pouting and looking quite...well, like one P.O.'ed chick. But she was a real cute P.O.'ed chick, that is. Heh, he told himself, she's still mad about last time, huh...well, that's okay...  
  
-----  
  
Asuka: No, no, NO! Raise your leg *higher*! And jump higher, too, you're *way* behind half a beat!  
  
And so, Asuka and Shinji went on with their training on synchronized movements by way of dancing, with the Third Child indeed lagging a bit behind the redhead's movements. To Shinji, his old friend didn't even seem to break a sweat at what awkward movements they were doing at the moment, but with Asuka's tone of voice, he can tell she was dead serious about pulling this whole thing off. In her frustration, she began to stomp annoyingly on the floor and shriek like the pissed-off chick that she was at the moment.  
  
Shinji: (sweatdrops and thinks) Man...no wonder she broke the camera...  
  
Asuka: ARGH! Why are you so *klutzy* all the time?! I can't *believe* it! I feel like I'm gonna freak out right now, you know?! (breathes in deeply then looks at Shinji straight in the eye) Listen up, Shinji.  
  
Shinji: (worriedly looks back at Asuka and thinks) Gee...she's certainly relaxed *now*...maybe a little too much, I'd guess...  
  
Asuka: We are going to have this whole deal perfect by tomorrow no matter *what* and we are going to show Misato and the First who's who around *these* parts of Tokyo. Got that?!  
  
Shinji just did a little smile as he thought about Asuka's effective display of encouragement and tough talk and envisioned her as if she was a team captain for a baseball team of sorts; it was the bottom of the ninth, and it was like Eva's 1, Angels 1. Everyone was tense, everyone was excited.   
  
Heh, Shinji thought, there's something about her drive...it's unstoppable. "Not like me at all." And with a little snicker and a grin, he soon took Asuka's starting pose and got ready to dance with...or in this case, in synch with her.  
  
Asuka: Okay, let's start from the top. Yeah...that's more like it! You finally look and sound like you have the will to do this! Let's go, Shinji!  
  
-----  
  
Everything was like worthless for Camille right now, even though his "peers" were having quite some fun at the arcade game they were playing, some corny screwball shooting game named "Star Crasher" or something familiar. He sighed quite sadly as he went over to the token booth to buy some more tokens to play this neat-looking "new" Dance Maniax game, "20th Remix" or something like that, hopefully to get his mind off of things at the moment. He still *was* a 15-year-old kid after all, even though his colleagues at the AEUG think of him highly just because he could pilot a Gundam without previous significant experience...a "Newtype" of sorts.  
  
And so he played Dance Maniax 20th Remix, with the thought on his mind that Hong Kong does have some neat stuff in store, very unlike when he was in the colony Green Noah 1, where he could find nothing but the same old crappy "games". Of course, he wasn't on Earth just for the games, he realizes he has a war to fight.  
  
As soon as he finished the whole round, Quess and Hathaway made a special request for Camille that *they* would play after him so "they could show him they were better at Dance Maniax than he is"...  
  
Quess: ...since we noticed you've been playing the "Mild" mode all this time. (giggles) Well, Hathaway? Let's go play in "Trial" mode and give these people a show, shall we? (grins)  
  
Hathaway: Let's go, Quess!  
  
Camille: (scratches his head and raises an eyebrow) Gosh, you guys didn't have to say it out loud, you know! All right, let's see what you two can do. You two better not screw up or I'll *definitely* laugh at your faces till we get back.  
  
Cheimin: Umm, Camille, just don't mind these two, all right. I mean... (whispers to Camille's ear) They're all just talk, they can't really walk the walk if their lives depended on it...geez, I've always wondered why the heck my brother fell for that bitch anyway...  
  
Quess: I *heard* that, Cheimin, you little bitch. (sticks out a tongue at Cheimin and tackles/tickles her)  
  
Cheimin: (giggles and tickles back) Well, *this* bitch ought to see what you're made of, girlfriend! Come on, are you gonna play or not?  
  
Camille was just amazed at how well Quess and Hathaway were playing Dance Maniax in perfect synchronization with each other; and this came along with the fact that they were playing in the hardest mode of the game, too. He chuckled within himself and thought, man, am *I* going to be humiliated when we go back to the ship...  
  
And soon enough, Quess and Hathaway finished the last "stage" of the game, sweating and panting and obviously their arms were quite exhausted, since they *did* finish "Trial" mode almost without any flaws.   
  
Quess: *pant*, *wheeze*, See, I told you!  
  
Hathaway: Oh man...my arms are killing me...  
  
Camille: (looks at them for a second and chuckles) What's the matter, kiddies? Arms getting a little TOO tired from playing the hard mode? (grins)  
  
Hathaway: Who ya calling "kiddies", Camille?! We're practically the same age here, you know! (raises an eyebrow and leers at Camille)  
  
Camille: Ehh, whatever. Come on, I'll treat you guys to some eats...or may...be...not. (hands search through his pockets) I still have one token here, mind if I play a bit more? I haven't played Dance Dance Revolution 21st Remix in a long time now...  
  
Cheimin: You playing alone again, Camille?  
  
Camille: Y...yeah, I guess so, unless you want to play with me, Cheimin.  
  
Cheimin: Oh, no, no, it's okay, really! Hathaway, Quess, and I will just be watching from behind you and stuff, you know?  
  
The four children then went over to the Dance Dance Revolution 21st Remix arcade machine and gazed at it for a moment before Camille finally decided to pop in a token and get it over with. What his companions didn't know was that he "ruled" Maniac mode while he was still in Green Noah, so he kept this secret until...  
  
Camille was quite surprised to see quite a pretty girl, probably in her early twenties or something like that, with short teal hair and dark purple lipstick, also insert a token and asked him if she can play with him for a while.  
  
girl: (giggles and smiles at him) I hope it's okay with you!  
  
For quite a while, Camille and the girl looked at each other's eyes and seemed to..."get lost" in their respective gazes. Since Camille was a member of the male species of humans, the first thing that crossed his mind was, "Wow, she's cute! But then...I kind of...feel something about her. It's strange, but..."  
  
Camille: (smiles back at her) All right, it's okay, I guess...  
  
girl: I can tell you can get by in the hard mode just from your looks...I mean, you look like you've been playing DDR ever since you were a kid and all...I hope you don't mind with me playing only in Normal mode... (blushes a little)  
  
Camille: Oh, no, not at all! Eh heh heh! I guess everything in DDR just comes naturally to me, you know! (grins stupidly)  
  
girl: So umm...shall we get started?  
  
Camille: Y...yeah, sure! But then, just for the benefit of not outclassing you...I'll play in Normal mode as well, just for you, if that's okay...  
  
girl: (giggles) All right! Let's go!  
  
Soon enough, they both finished their game of DDR with a lot of people watching them at the back amongst Cheimin, Hathaway, and Quess, with the latter two children still rubbing their tired arms. What Camille and the mysterious girl didn't know is that they all thought Camille and this girl were like...an item, and to Camille's friends, for a moment, they forgot that Camille was indeed Fa Yuiri's boyfriend. They deduced this conclusion at the way that the two people seemed to look at each other, and this was the first time that they had met, too...  
  
Quess: (clings to Hathaway's arm and giggles) Isn't this romantic? They look like they've fallen for each other, just like love at first sight! Right Hathaway?  
  
Hathaway: (stares at Camille and the girl for a second) .....God, Camille must pay me a fine sum not to tell this to Fa--h...hey! what do you two think you're doing?!  
  
Quess and Cheimin: (both give Hathaway a noogie) You are not going to tell anyone anything about this, all right?! Grrrrrrr!!!!!  
  
Cheimin: ...eh? They're shaking hands...  
  
And indeed, Camille and the girl, who was smiling sweetly at him, were shaking hands with each other. The girl thanked Camille for a nice game that they had, and for a wonderful time.   
  
-----  
  
And so, Shinji and Asuka trained all afternoon and all night on their synchronized movements training, each of them almost perfectly trailing each other's dance movements as the "boring, repetitive" music played on. They had therefore almost no thought for dinner that night, as they both thought upon themselves that they must be able to do this thing as soon as the Angel's predicted time of full regeneration comes.   
  
For that fateful night, Shinji and Asuka also had a good time together as they danced on to the music, so Asuka decided that they should seize this opportunity and danced the waltz with Shinji, the only things missing being the formal "tux-and-dress" attire instead of Asuka's leotards and Shinji's T-shirt and shorts. Sure, they were quite sweaty at the moment, but they were both indeed having a very good time together.  
  
And for a moment, Shinji's eyes had met Asuka's, and they smiled at each other.  
  
  
To be continued  
-----  
  
Whew.   
  
This has got to be the most interesting two months that I've had. I've almost never finished this thing with the condition that I've had when I hadn't been able to talk to my girlfriend for around five weeks and that I was starting to feel a little bit bored and depressed with stuff in the world myself (in reference to September 11, 2001). Anyway, it's a good thing that I've finally gotten through, although I would consider myself to be off my schedule (I should have finished this chapter a LONG time ago, two, three, or more weeks before today, February 3, 2002). I hope you enjoy what I've written so far, this time. I'll be posting some updates to this thing as I feel it's still unfinished due to my desire to put in more detail into it.  
  
My thanks go out to Yuu_Kajima of the Super Robot Wars G Message Board for pre-reading this, also to my girlfriend who has finally come back around five weeks after December 22, 2001 for also pre-reading this and of course, being one of my primary inspirations for this fanfiction.  
  
I can't promise a new chapter *soon*, but I'll try my best to make something up after midterm exams.  
  
C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE. Until then, "Believe in the sign of ZETA...beyond the hard times from now."  
  
-----  
  
Camille: (blushes) Umm...you're welcome, I guess...oh, by the way...my name's Camille Vidan...it's nice to meet you, I guess...eh heh heh heh! (shakes the girl's hand)  
  
girl: "Camille...Vidan..." Hmmm...my, what a nice name you have! (smiles) My name is Four. Four Murasame. I'm glad to have met you for the first time, Camille Vidan. (giggles) 


	7. Dead KeiichiMorisato Day:

********************  
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover  
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)  
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.  
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.  
All rights reserved.  
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments. I'm serious, folks.  
********************  
  
[Act 6.5: Dead ^Keiichi_Morisato Day]  
  
Episode 12.5, "Emma and Henken"  
  
"Dead Kei Day" you ask? Well, this chapter, although basically still a part of the whole storyline, has little or no relevance to the main story of "Gundam / Evangelion: Crtossover" itself. Rather, it's sort of a telling of what's going on other than what's happening in Shinji's and Camille's lives, a "side story" if you will.  
  
Very well, on with the show:  
  
-----  
  
"I guess I can never prove to myself if the rumors are true or not," Henken Heckner told himself as he sat back in his captain's chair, double-checking reports on the status of all of the Radish's own mobile suit squadron and everything related to it: ammunition, supplies, the works.  
  
As with common human nature, Henken *was* feeling a little bored for tonight, as most of his AEUG crew was feeling as well. He wished he could just go out for a while and see if Hong Kong really *is* one of those "cool" places to go to on Earth, since he'd been *so* involved with so much work even when he was still one of the middle-rank officers in the Earth Federation. Now that he's with the AEUG, he felt like...well, nothing much has changed. He *was* still a ship captain.  
  
But then, he had a reason not to be bored for tonight, as he had prepared for this moment for "a very long time"--a few weeks, actually--and he felt like this was his "shining moment".   
  
He would finally have a moment together with that goddess of beauty, Lieutenant Emma Sheen.  
  
Sure, technically he would have little or no chance of being her boyfriend since: one, he wasn't really that handsome to begin with; two, he was extremely shy when it comes to these kinds of things; and three, judging from how everything looked at the moment, it looks like Emma has no interest in men whatsoever, other that he sees that she was sort of a surrogate mother to the AEUG's star pilot, Camille Vidan.  
  
And besides, although he *is* a ship captain *and* technically higher in rank than Emma...that wasn't any guarantee that she'd like him.  
  
Henken: (mumbles) Awww heck, let's do this...  
  
A few minutes later, while Henken was fighting with himself not to fall asleep, one of his bridge crew members turned to him to inform him about something. He had hoped that it wasn't a sudden titan ambush...  
  
AEUG bridge crew A: Sir, I think your...umm...visitor has arrived. She's on line 4. Shall I put her on speaker phone or you'll pick it up yourself?  
  
Henken: Umm...*ahem*. You fool, of course I'll pick it up myself. Excuse me... (walks over to where the crew member was and picks up the receiver) Umm, Lieutenant?  
  
AEUG bridge crew A: (mumbles and rolls his eyes as he gets back to his work) Whatever...  
  
Emma: /Yeah, this is me, Captain. You called for me?/  
  
Henken: Uhh, yeah, I guess I did! Eh heh heh heh heh...  
  
Emma: /What is this for? Some kind of new orders assignments that Captain Noah hasn't told me about?/  
  
Henken: Oh, no, no, it's nothing like that. I just...I just want to talk to you about something in private.   
  
Emma: /Well, what is it?/  
  
Henken: This isn't really exactly a "private conversation" since well...I'm at the bridge and everyone's listening and all and uhh...  
  
Emma: /What's wrong with everyone in the Radish's bridge listening? Is the matter you want to talk to me about something of urgent importance or whatever?/  
  
Henken: Something like that. Just...just come to my office and let's talk, okay?  
  
Emma: (pauses for about 5 seconds) /All right. Be there in five minutes./  
  
Henken could then hear Emma put down the phone on the other end of the line. As he put down his own phone receiver, he sighed and all of a sudden felt like he was very nervous. this was very much like when he was on his violin recital back in 6th grade, only much worse...  
  
-----  
  
Henken was a lot tense tonight. He realized he was making himself look silly what with double-checking to see if the couch is all neat and dandy, if there's no more dust within his office room, if everything was just "perfect".  
  
The allotted time of five minutes soon ended. He gulped at that very moment that those five minutes were through, and anticipated the next event that would transpire.  
  
Finally, a few knocks on the door. This is it, Henken told himself over and over again as he straightened his uniform, and with a sigh, walked over to the controls of the automatic sliding door separating the office from the rest of the ship...and maybe, separating himself from the former Titan goddess herself.  
  
Emma: (blinks as the automatic door opens) Well, hi there! (smiles) May I come in?  
  
Henken: Umm, sure, why not? Oh, you can sit down on the couch if you want to... (thinks) Wow, this is weird--she doesn't seem to be wearing her uniform tonight like she usually does...  
  
Emma: (snickers) You seem to be pretty tense tonight, Captain Heckner, what's up?  
  
Henken: Oh, it's nothing, I just noticed you weren't wearing your uniform like you usually do. It's just that I'm not used to seeing you in a t-shirt and jeans... (scratches his head)  
  
Emma: Ahhh. Well, get used to it now, cuz this is what I usually wear when I'm off-duty, even when I was still in the Federa--I mean, the Titans... (sits down on the couch)  
  
Henken: Heh heh...right. Can I get you something, tea and cookies, perhaps?  
  
Emma: (giggles) Oh, I love cookies! Yes, please, i'll have a whole DOZEN of them! Eh heh heh heh heh...hey, I've never gotten to ask you about something, Captain...  
  
Henken: (turns to prepare the food for the both of them) What is it?  
  
Emma: (fidgets at a plushie across from where she was sitting) Well, I've been hearing your name as being one of the top officers for the Federation when I was still just in the academy as a cadet and I was just wondering why you hadn't joined in the draft when the Federation organized the Titans...  
  
Henken: Ehh, well, I was sick at the time, and I was on vacation in Side 6 when they had..."The Draft", as I'd like to call it. Besides, I was happy at my current position in the Federal Forces so I didn't even bother joining the draft anyway.  
  
Emma: Ahh...  
  
Henken: Well, how come *you* were included in the draft?  
  
Emma: (twiddles her thumbs and looks at them) It's not like I wanted to join in the first place anyway, it was more like a position offered to me where I had no other choice. Almost all of my batch mates in the academy were drafted out of compulsion. I mean, I wanted to join the Federal Forces, not the Titans...  
  
Henken: I see, and well, I guess I can say, "the rest was history", huh?  
  
Emma: (shrugs) I guess so...oooh, thanks! (takes two cookies from a plate and munches on one) These are good! Mmm... (wipes off any crumbs from her face and snickers at Henken) I could only be so clumsy when it comes to cookies, you know?  
  
Henken: Heh heh, yeah, I can tell... (munches on a cookie as well and drinks his tea) So, how's Camille doing?  
  
Emma: (rolls her eyes) Aaagh. Well, to be blunt, he's *out* there, if you know what I mean. He hasn't been quite himself lately, maybe it's the tension and stress one gets when he's quite inexperienced with stuff that only we, ummmm..."military types" get to endure, if you know what I mean. I can still remember how his father had been so cruel and insensitive to the poor guy...oh well, at least now I won't be surprised if I see him kill his own dad just because... (sighs) i guess you can tell I'm quite concerned for Camille, huh?  
  
Henken: I would think "concerned" is an understatement, Lieutenant. You look like you want to adopt the boy...I mean, who wouldn't feel sorry for him? He's just 15 years old, and yet he's dragged into this big fight that we adults have started...  
  
Emma: (sighs) Yeah...  
  
Henken: (sweatdrops) Speaking of children, I was just wondering... (gulps)  
  
Emma: (looks at him curiously) Yeah, go on?  
  
Henken: Well, it's just that I think that...that...  
  
Emma: (scratches her head) Come on, don't leave me hanging here, what do you want to tell me about children?  
  
Henken: (gulps heavily) It's just that I'm kind of sad that more children are being involved with all of this political bullshit that, like I said, we adults have been fighting over, and the wars that result from the disagreement of opinions between the Earthnoids and spacenoids...  
  
Emma: Ahh...well, I'm kinda sad about it as well, considering that a lot of lives have been lost during the One Year War alone... (sighs) And I fear that more lives will be lost during *this* war...it's all ugly, but we have to play our part, you know?  
  
Both of them kept silent for around five minutes. Neither of them moved nor spoke a word, after almost all of their refreshments have been consumed. Unknown to each other, they both felt the air was "getting thick" as this deafening silence loomed on.  
  
Emma: So...ummm...  
  
Henken: Yeah?  
  
Emma: Have you ever had any girlfriends yet? Errrr...not that I'm implying anything, it's just a simple question that some girls would ask a guy out of curiosity...  
  
Henken: (sighs) Unfortunately, my love life's been all *stale* every day of my life. I've been *so* much involved with work, so much that I forget that one of the most important things in life is that you should have a partner to share your whole life with. I guess I've never been really big with the girls, huh?  
  
Emma: Aww, don't be so hard on yourself... (pats Henken's back) I've never had any luck with my love life either, in case you want to know. (giggles) But then I could stop if you don't want to hear any useless rant by a 25-year-old boyfriend-less military gal like me...  
  
Henken: (blinks) Why not? Let's hear it, Lieutenant.  
  
Emma: Well, all of my life I've only had a few suitors come to me, but then this was before I enrolled in the academy and when I was in high school, back when me and my mother and sister lived in New York. Turns out that, well, my general perception of guys was that you were all jerks because I can tell when a guy wants to take advantage of me. Being the tomboyish gal that I was, I vowed to rebel against the male species and entered the Earth Federation Military Academy to become a soldier. Well, now that times have changed, I feel like I should turn away from my childhood and turn towards the future, like they always say on TV...  
  
Henken: Pretty interesting life you have there, Lieutenant...  
  
Emma: Yeah, well, it doesn't get any more interesting than kicking your butt in piloting an MS, Captain. (grins)  
  
Henken: Uhh...  
  
Emma: (laughs) It was a joke, Captain! Gee, you really *are* tense about something, aren't you?  
Come on, you can tell me, let a former Titan gal who knows her way around the AEUG listen to your problems. (holds his hands)  
  
Henken: (blushes lightly) Uhh...umm...well...  
  
Emma: Yeah?  
  
Henken: ...it's nothing. Honestly. I was just thinking maybe you should go back to the Agama by now since I think they need you there more than I want you here as someone to talk to. Please. Just...j-just get back to your work, okay?  
  
Emma: (looks at him for a few seconds and sighs lightly) ...you're right. I should get back to the Agama. (stands up and faces him) You can call em any time you'd like, Captain. Even if it's just having a friend to talk to. I'm always there, you know. (stands in attention and salutes him) Permission to leave the room, sir.  
  
Henken: (sighs and stands up in attention, saluting Emma back) ...by your leave, Lieutenant.  
  
And as Emma left the room, Henken just sat back on the couch, exactly where Emma was sitting earlier and just stared at the empty plate which was filled with cookies a just while ago. He couldn't believe he could just be so pathetic tonight...  
  
End Episode 12.5  
-----  
  
Why is this called a "Dead Kei Day" chapter anyway, you might ask? Well, as always, I've been busy with my day job that I have either little or no time to write a new chapter anymore lately, and what's more, the life of someone who's just come out of college is quite...hectic, to say the least, in terms of seeking employment and stuff like that. Life sucks sometimes, but that's what you get from growing old. You know, I once heard a saying that states, "Growing old is easy; the hard part is growing up." But then, that's not quite important anymore so blah. (I am never going to grow up from my anime fandom, that's for sure. :3 )  
  
Well anyway, you guys have been great, although I've been getting VERY, VERY limited feedback from among Gundam and Evangelion fans alike who ahve read this fanfiction of mine. It's okay with me. I realize that I can't please everyone all of the time, and for all of this, my determination to be the best UC Gundam - Evangelion fic writer is spurred greatly. And yadda yadda and all that crap. Whatever. :3  
  
By the way, "Dead Kei Day" was inspired by the "Dead Piro Days" from the web comic "Megatokyo" which you can find at http://www.megatokyo.com/. Much credit would go to Mr. Fred Gallagher a.k.a. Piro for making such a wonderful web comic.  
  
Hopefully I'll be able to post a new chapter soon. As usual, "C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE." Until then, "Believe in the sign of ZETA...beyond the hard times from now." 


	8. Dance Like You Want To Win! Cinderella ...

Camille: Umm...yeah, nice to meet you too, Four! Eh heh heh heh...   
  
The young Newtype couldn't help but act silly in front of this pretty willowy lass of teal hair. At the back of his mind, Camille definitely thought she was quite a babe, *definitely* his type: innocent, older-looking (well, from the looks of it, Camille thought she really did look older than him...)  
  
Quess: Hey, Camille? *Hellooo?!* Earth to Camille Vidan? (starts knocking on his forehead)  
  
Camille: Errr...huh? Oh, hey there Quess, what are you doing here in the mall?  
  
Quess: Gaaahhh! Don't play dumb with me, you *said* you were gonna go get us all some eats, right?  
  
Cheimin: Yeah, I'm starving now... (rubs her tummy)  
  
Hathaway: Well, why don't you bring along that new friend of yours, huh? Ummm... (offers Four a handshake) Four Murasame, wasn't it?  
  
Four: Umm, yeah, that's my name? (giggles and shakes Hathaway's hand) And you are?  
  
After they had all introduced themselves to one another, Camille suggested they all go out for some sushi at a nearby sushi bar next to the arcades and spend a few minutes or even an hour there, talking about random stuff that kids their age usually talk about and...well, more random stuff that kids their age usually talk about.  
  
But for most of the evening, Camille was more interested in getting to know his newfound friend with a number for a name. With a little grin on his face, Camille stared at Four as if he sensed an air of mystery round about her and didn't notice he was slowly getting lost in her gentle eyes.  
  
To his surprise, though, he suddenly snapped out of his reverie as the girl in question started to pull at his sleeve as if she was waking him up from a daydream, saying:  
  
Four: Are you all right? You haven't ordered anything yet since we came here, Camille. (giggles) You're a silly one, aren't you?  
  
Quess: Camille, what the *hell* is wrong with you today? Man, if I'd known you'd be like this today, I'd have brought along my cattle prod or something else... (whispers to Hathaway and Cheimin) Are you thinking what I'm thinking?  
  
Hathaway: He really likes this girl, doesn't he?  
  
Cheimin: Yeah...I've been watching Camille ever since this girl came along with us, he seems a bit "out there" whenever he's staring at her, you know?   
  
Quess: Uh huh...but they seem like a cute couple anyway...let's just see what happens, all right? Oh, and by the way, Fa's never going to find out about this, all right?  
  
Hathaway: Oh, great... (rolls his eyes) There goes Camille's bribe money... (sighs) Well what the hell are you two looking at me like that for? Okay, okay, I'm not gonna tell!  
  
Camille: What are you guys talking about? "Not gonna tell" what?  
  
Quess and Cheimin: Ummm...he's not gonna tell us where he hid his Playboy magazines, so we're gonna let the Captain deal with him! Right, Hathaway? (grins evilly at Hathaway)  
  
Four: (laughs happily as she munches on her sushi) You sure have funny friends, Camille!  
  
  
********************  
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover  
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)  
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.  
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.  
All rights reserved.  
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments. I'm serious, folks.  
********************  
  
[Act 7]  
  
Episode 13, "Dance Like You Want to Win!"  
-------------------  
  
Shinji and Asuka lay on their respective beds in almost perfect unison and laughed hard as they finished their training for the evening. This was quite a neat experience for the both of them, they both thought, seeing that they had both perfected Misato's plan of both of the kids dancing in perfect synchronization with each other in order for the both of them to have "one mind" in defeating the Angel.  
  
Shinji: (looks over at Asuka and pants while laughing and wiping off his sweat) Whooo-baby, that was something, ain't it?  
  
Asuka: (grins at Shinji) Heh heh, yeah, it was...whoo, now I'm a lot more confident that we can get this whole Angel problem over with once and for all. Let's just hope we win *this* time around, eh?  
  
Shinji: Yup. Oooh...man, I need to pee--  
  
Asuka: (blinks) Well, that's funny, I need to take a leak too...hey, *I'll* go first. (leers at Shinji) *You* stay right here.  
  
Shinji: Heh, okay...whatever you say.  
  
There was just this one big sweatdrop on Asuka's head as she saw Shinji trying to follow her into the bathroom, tracing her movements perfectly too, like what a shadow would. Asuka gritted her teeth and tried to kick Shinji in the shin, but he barely avoided it and "eep'ed" as he did.  
  
Asuka: Didn't I tell you *I'll* go first before *you*? Couldn't you even wait, dummkopf?  
  
Shinji: Hey, it's not *my* fault! When you started moving, my body started moving on its own and copied your every move! (thinks) Uh-oh. Baaaaaad excuse...my ass is going to get kicked...brace yourself, Shinji...!  
  
Asuka: (stomps her foot to the ground) That has got to be the lamest excuse I've ever heard, Shinji Ikari! You wanted to peek at me while I was pissing, didn't you?!  
  
Shinji: No, NO, WAIT! You got it all wrong! Hey, it's like I *know* what I'm doing here, duh?! I *don't* know what I'm doing, and my body's just following your every move for some really REALLY odd reason--  
  
Asuka: Oh, shut up, man! Our training's *over*--  
  
And as if it were the speed of light, Asuka smugly kicked Shinji's nuts to oblivion and promptly bitch-slapped his face silly, making him yelp so loud that even Misato and Kaji could have heard it. Cupping his ever dearest testicles, Shinji fell down to the floor curling up in excruciating pain and wailing like a little puppy dog.  
  
Asuka: --so stop fooling around and be a gentleman for once! *Jeez!* Men can be such perverts... (starts storming inside the bathroom, but turns around to look at Shinji) You know, I think I shouldn't have broken that spy camera earlier if I'd have known you'd follow me to the ladies' room so Misato should have seen you here right now looking like a damn fool. Now, behave like a *gentleman* and let the lady go first! HMPH!  
  
As Asuka slammed the bathroom door behind her, Shinji weakly got up on his feet still gritting his teeth in the pain that came from his hurting groin. Oh man, he thought, *now* I made her mad...that really, really hurt...  
  
Shinji: (thinks) Oh well, let's just let the "lady" go on first...at least she called me a "gentleman"...heh. Normally she'd just call me a disgusting little pervert when I'd mess up like that...  
  
The Third Child sheepishly crawled up to his own bed and just lay down there with his limbs spread out, the pain from his nuts slowly subsiding as the minutes went by and as his mind wandered off somewhere outside the room and outside of Nerv HQ.   
  
Shinji thoughtfully mused on the events that had happened these past few days...weeks...whatever...that have changed his life ever since his...father...had summoned for him to go to Earth and be an Eva pilot. He just chuckled as realization just struck him that he had never really did get that autograph from Captain Bright Noah *or* Amuro Ray, but it was okay with him, knowing that the AEUG was considered to be Nerv's "ally" for now.   
  
He also wondered how everything had been so...so...fast, and that time seemed to fly before him like it was nothing. Due to unavoidable circumstances, he unwillingly broke old ties, but he made new friends as well, although one particular old annoyance was still there with him *and* had the same job as he did, but he just thanked Kami-sama as he looked over at the bathroom door that it was Asuka. Shinji just had this little problem of making new friends. Heck, he thought, he just had this little problem of making friends AT ALL, damn it.   
  
Shinji: (thinks) This whole thing with the Angel will be over soon. Man...and I don't even know where we're headed after this, it's always Misato-san or Ritsuko-hakase or...or *Dad* who makes the decisions around here. I mean, if this isn't harsh enough, I don't know what is...  
  
The young redhead in the bathroom frowned a little as she had just unwillingly read what Shinji was thinking and came to the realization that their lives aren't really *theirs* anymore, after this battle with what Asuka called "the splitting Angel". Soon enough, she thought, they'd both be winding up fighting the Titans again together, maybe with the First...Ayanami...around this time, or maybe not. Who knows? she thought to herself as she pulled up her panties and put her leotards back on, walking towards the bathroom door.   
  
Snickering to herself, she had quickly dismissed the thought of apologizing to Shinji for that kicking incident that had happened just earlier, thinking it'd be fun to annoy her little childhood pervert friend a little more before the big battle tomorrow.  
  
But then, somehow, somewhere...Asuka wondered why she had read Shinji's thoughts so *clearly* in the first place. Of course she knew they were both Newtypes, but she never imagined they'd be at this level *so* early. Maybe that dance movement synchronization training had helped to some extent? Maybe so, maybe not.   
  
Asuka could never believe it either, but for the first time in her life, she was being uncertain about what's in store for them. She was usually confident and so sure of herself that everything that she does (at least in her own eyes) is always right, always the best, always with that trademark Asuka Langley-Sohryu perfection. But then, she just realized that she *is* still fourteen years old, despite the fact that she had already finished college. Fourteen years old. A *kid*.  
  
An average kid was never truly certain about his or her decisions due to immaturity.  
  
However, Asuka was different (at least, again, in her own eyes). She was *not* immature. She was definitely *not* a kid anymore. She was the best. She was Asuka. She was...  
  
...surprised as she opened up the door, to find Shinji staring blankly at her blue-gray eyes, still lying down on his own bed, as if he was *anticipating* her coming out of the bathroom at that exact moment. She was even more surprised as she stared back blankly at his own dark brown eyes, just like what Ayanami would.  
  
  
  
Silence, looming.  
  
  
  
Night, deepening.  
  
  
  
-----  
  
Camille's motorcycle wasn't really built to cater more than four people; that afternoon, he had Quess and Hathaway riding on the side carriage of his motorcycle while Cheimin was behind him, but right now, Four was behind him and held on to his shoulders so as not to fall while Cheimin was with her brother and his girlfriend in the side carriage.   
  
Hathaway: Hey, you sure this thing can hold *five* people, man? Your bike looks like it's gonna go any minute now, you know!  
  
Camille: Oh, don't be such a wuss, of *course* it can! *I* custom-built it myself so *I* should know if it's gonna go or not, am I right, Hathaway?  
  
Hathaway: (sneers) Heh, I hope you're saying that not just you want to impress Four here...  
  
Camille: (straps on his helmet and gives each his and her own helmet) What the heck are you trying to imply, that I only wanted to bring Four along since she doesn't have anyone she can ride with? I'm just--  
  
Four: (sighs and starts to get off the motorcycle) Camille, it's okay. If I'm such a burden to your mode of transportation, it's better that I--  
  
Camille: Oh, no, no! You've got it all wrong, Four. I mean...I mean, you're not a burden to us or anything. Hathaway here... (leers at him) ...was just being an asshole all over again and maybe he's just jealous that he never gets the cute girls in his life...  
  
Four: (smiles sweetly at him and giggles) Really, now.  
  
Hathaway: (shakes a fist at Camille) You calling *me* an asshole, Camille?! Why, I oughta--!!  
  
Cheimin: (restrains him and covers his mouth) Drop it, Hathaway. We are going to have a nice evening and we are going to have it with Miss Four Murasame here, understand?  
  
Quess: And what the hell did you mean "he never gets the cute girls", Camille?! You don't think I'm cute enough to--!!  
  
Cheimin: (restrains Quess and covers her mouth) You too, Quess. We've had enough trouble as it is and we couldn't afford to have any more trouble at this time of the night. Besides, like what Four here said, she just wants to be friends with us and she doesn't really have a place to go to right now, so we are going to have a *nice* evening and we are going to have it with Miss Four Murasame here, am I being clear?  
  
Hathaway and Quess: Yeah, yeah...whatever...  
  
Camille: (blushes a bit) So...umm...Four, can you get back to *your* place now and let's get the heck out of here? Oh, and wear this... (unstraps his own helmet and gives it to Four) I don't want you to get injured or anything...  
  
Four: (smiles) Sure! (gets back into her place behind Camille and straps on the helmet he gave to her) Are you sure you want to give this helmet to me, Camille? I mean, you never know when an accident's going to happen and all...  
  
Camille: Ahhh, don't worry about me, I'm fine without a helmet. Heh heh heh heh!  
  
Four: Oh...all right. (holds on to Camille's shoulders) Where do we go, anyway?  
  
Camille: Hmm... (looks at his watch, it reads 8:00 PM) Why don't we all go around town first? I've always wanted to have a tour of Hong Kong for a very long time...it's just that we're in Aberdeen right now, but it's okay, we're still in Hong Kong, right?  
  
Quess: Well *duh*, yeah.   
  
Hathaway: But don't you think it's getting late already? I mean, Dad might get angry at you for being late when he's making roll calls or something like that that you guys do in the army...  
  
Camille: Ahh, like I said, don't worry. I'll figure something out so your Dad won't take it all out on us or anything bad like that. I'm one of his star pilots, remember?  
  
Cheimin: You know, Camille, he's right. You know our Dad, he gets really cranky about the littlest detail that seems to annoy him, kind of worse than a neat freak if you ask me. It's annoying, but that's our Dad the Captain for you. We really ought to be going back to the ship early.  
  
Four: (giggles) It's all right with me if we couldn't go strolling around town for tonight, Camille. I just need a place to stay for the moment and maybe we can even have a good time in your ship, right? I'd love to meet Cheimin's and Hathaway's dad and all of your friends, too! So, shall we go, Camille Vidan? (grins)  
  
Camille: Oh well, you all win. Let's go back to the ship and have our rest, all right?  
  
The young Newtype "stepped" on the gas and soon made a run for it as he drove the five of them back to the Agama, but it seemed that they were still sightseeing instead of hurrying back to the ship what with the speed Camille was doing.  
  
Quess: Couldn't this thing go any faster?  
  
Camille: Eh heh heh heh...we can't. (grins)  
  
Quess: WHAT?! Why not?!  
  
Camille: I guess I lied to you guys a bit, this bike couldn't really speed up what with the five of us riding on it and all, we're like lead weights on water right now and all we'd have to do is bear the inconvenience of riding at a slow speed, all right guys? I'm really sorry!  
  
Four: (frowns) Awwww...I *knew* it!   
  
Camille: Ummm...but don't worry, w-w-we'll get there in a jiffy, I just know it!  
  
Cheimin: (mumbles) Yeah, if you don't get us lost first... (pulls at Camille's sleeve and points to something on the road) Hey, Camille, could you stop for a bit? I wanna buy some of that Chinese ramen I've been hearing that really tastes good with iced tea! (grins) Pretty please? You don't have to pay, We'll all buy on our own and--  
  
Camille: And here you're the one who's been complaining along with your brother here that we're late for the Captain's roll call thingy. All right, let's stop right here and buy your ramen, okay Cheimin? (parks the motorcycle/tricycle (?) somewhere beside the road)  
  
Cheimin: Yaaaay! Thanks, dude!  
  
Hathaway; Hmmm...come to think of it, I'd like to buy some for us as well. Would you like some ramen, Quess?  
  
Quess: Hmmm? Oh, sure, go on right ahead. Just buy one for the both of us, I'll just share mine with you. I'm nearly full anyway, you know?  
  
Camille: Say...wasn't that sushi back at the mall enough for all of you?   
  
Cheimin, Hathaway, and Quess: (all grin at Camille) NOPE! (giggling and chuckling)  
  
Camille: Oh, man...whatever! You guys go on right ahead while I stay here and watch the bike. Four...you want to go with them too?  
  
Four: Ummm...I'll just stay here with you, thanks. (blushes a little)  
  
The two watched their companions gleefully making a beeline for the Chinese ramen stand and sat there in silence for the whole moment, each waiting for the other one to speak up and start a decent conversation. Well this was a particularly awkward situation, Camille thought as he tried to turn away from the pretty girl's gaze in front of him. Like what he had thought earlier, Camille definitely assumed that this girl, Four Murasame...what a weird name, he also thought, but then, his own parents named *him* Camille, an awkwardly inappropriate name for a *guy*...that this girl, despite that from her physical appearance, she looked older than him, Four had somehow captured the young Newtype's heart.  
  
Four: Something wrong? (chuckles) You're drooling all over your shirt, Camille. (grins)  
  
Camille: N--huh? Oh...eh heh heh heh heh! (scratches his head and frantically searches for a handkerchief inside his shirt pocket) Sorry about that... (wipes his drool off with the handkerchief)  
  
Four: You know...you're a funny little fella. You've got good friends, and I think you've got a good life going too, since from the looks of things you could make your own motorcycle from a few spare parts and all that...you must be some kind of genius or something, you know?  
  
Camille: Oh, this. (pats his motorcycle) T-T-This is nothing, it's just...simple stuff, you know? (shrugs) I mean, *anybody* can do it...it's just building motorcycles and side cars and stuff, pretty easy if you ask me...  
  
Four: Yeah, right, easy for *you*, that's what you really want to say, hmmm?  
  
Camille: Well, I--I...  
  
Four: (pats Camille's back) Come on, don't be so humble in situations like these. I mean...I mean, you should be *proud* that you can make things like these. I could never be like what you are, Camille. And you know...I think I'm beginning to like you already, Camille, honestly! I mean...no one's ever been *this* nice to me upon the first meeting...and...and... (chuckles) This is quite awkward, I'm saying that I like you already, yet we've only just met hours ago...  
  
Camille: Ahh...I...see. (pauses for a short moment while staring at Four just being silent all of a sudden) I take it you don't have a lot of friends either, huh?  
  
Four: (shakes her head and pouts) No, I don't. I hate it when I'm being repressed like what they're doing to me. I hate it when they want me to do things that I don't want to do in the first place. I just...I just want to break free from...from...  
  
Camille: ...who's..."they"...?  
  
Should she tell him? Should she tell him that she's merely a puppet for those wretched people in the battleship, that steely-eyed professor and that Federation officer in uniform? Bitter, painful memories of her being subject to those "tests" and chemical treatments started to come back to her, then she formed a fist as she took a deep breath, finally replying to her newfound friend's inquiry and saying:  
  
Four: ...I...I'm sorry, it's just...it's nothing, okay?  
  
Camille: I guess I'm sorry, too...for prying too much into what you would want to keep secret. (sighs) So umm...do you have any parents, any people who take care of you?  
  
  
Those...those people in black suits...pilot uniforms? Military garb?  
  
  
Four: No, I don't have any parents, Camille...  
  
Camille: You don't have any parents...are they dead or something? Are you an orphan, Four?  
  
Four: No...and I'm not an orphaned child either...  
  
Camille: ...well then...what *are* you, Four...?  
  
Four: I...I don't really know either...everytime I want to start finding out a lot more about myself, everything just...gets in the way, you know? (chuckles) Eh heh...I-I-I'm sorry for opening to you this easily like this, what with dumping all my frustrations on you, someone whom I just met and--- (gasps in surprise as Camille holds her hands)  
  
Camille: (looks at Four's eyes as kindly as he could) Everything will be all right, I'll make sure of it. I'll help you find more about yourself, about your past, everything! It's the least I could do for a person such as you, Four.   
  
Four: Y...You can read my thoughts, Camille? Are you what they call a...a Newtype?  
  
Camille: (nods) A little. But everything seems so...blurry, to put it bluntly, but I can tell you want to find out what makes you *you*, and that'd include where you came from, what your former life was...heh, I'm beginning to think that you've had some kind of really bad case of amnesia or something, and that you want your old memories back or something...  
  
Four: (nods) Y...Yeah, you *could* say that, Camille...some...bad case of...amnesia... (voice starts to break up)  
  
Camille: In any case, I'll do what I can to help you. While I might not be a specialist in these types of cases, I think I might know someone who can help you on this--  
  
Camille just gasped in surprised and his face almost turned into a newer shade of red as Four suddenly wept for joy and hugged the boy tight, almost simultaneously feeling the happiness that suddenly flourished in Four's heart and the softness of Four's full bosoms leaning against his own. But then, in this situation, Camille never cared much about perverseness and thought it best just to hug Four back, and he did.  
  
Four: Oh, Camille...thank you! You're a great help...how can I ever repay you for this kindness you're showing me...  
  
Camille: (holds Four's shoulders, breaks the hug, and looks into her face) You don't have to thank me for anything. I'm just here to help! Eh heh heh heh...come to think of it...I...I'd have to admit I like you too already, Four...  
  
Four: (wipes away the tears from her eyes) You're...you're not just doing this just because I said I liked you, right?  
  
Camille: Eh? Of course not! Hey umm...I mean, do I look like someone who would take advantage of someone who has the same situation as you do?  
  
The willowy lass went silent for a second as she took Camille's words into consideration, looking at him from head to foot. Camille gulped a bit, but it wasn't because he was nervous that she might say, "Well, yeah..." but it was because a girl never looked at him before like how Four was looking at him right now. Four grinned at the young Newtype and chuckled.  
  
Four: Well...yeah. You *do* look like someone who would take advantage of me in my type of situation. (giggles) Hey, I was kidding, okay? Don't look all so glum all of a sudden, we all have to have a little humor in our lives every now and then. (smiles at him)  
  
Camille: Eh heh heh... (scratches his head)  
  
Four: I don't really think you're such a bad person, Camille. I mean, like I've said, you're just the first guy who hasn't been an asshole to me. Hmmm... (gazes at him some more) "Camille"...what a nice name for such a cute guy as you. Heh heh heh...oh, and did anyone ever tell you that you looked like a girl?  
  
Did *anyone* ever tell him he looked like a girl?! she asks. Man, if she weren't this nice, Camille thought, I would have punched her lights out like I did with that asshole Jerid Mesa. Camille can still remember that fateful day that he had first has a brush with the Titans...  
  
Camille: (frowns) ...umm, actually...  
  
Four: (gasps) Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it *that* way! What I meant was...well, you look *cute*, that's it. (snickers and smiles at him) Cute in a huggable sort of way, of course, speaking as a woman, naturally. Eh heh heh heh heh...  
  
Camille: ...umm...you're the first one who called me "cute" in a positive way, I guess...  
  
Four: Hmm, so it *is* true! You must have had a lot of people bullying you for having such feminine features, and a very feminine name to boot...awww, poor baby... (holds Camille's hands and frowns)  
  
Camille: Eh heh heh heh, it's okay... (thinks) Damn that Jerid Mesa...  
  
Four: But then, like I told you, I like it. A lot. Heh heh, it's kinda cute, you know? (giggles)  
  
Camille: (nods and laughs a bit) Y...yeah...r-right...well, umm...how about *your* name, then? I mean, it's got to be pretty weird that you got to have a number for a name, right? W-w-well, but then... (shrugs) I think it's pretty cute too!  
  
Four: Awww, shucks, really? Well...thank you, I guess...  
  
A few seconds later and their three companions finally come back to where Four and Camille were conversing. Little did the pair know that their three younger companions were observing them as they were waiting in line for take-out. They all just grinned at Camille and Four as if they were oblivious to what was going on between the two.  
  
Camille: (raises and eyebrow) Well what the hell took you guys, eh?  
  
Hathaway: Hey, don't blame us! It just happens to be dinner time right now and everyone's like, waiting in line for an order, couldn't you see that? (points to the long line of customers in the said Chinese food take-out booth)  
  
Camille: Well, yeah, whatever. Let's just get the heck out of here, shall we?  
  
And yet again, after Camille has given each his and her own helmet, he started up his motorcycle engine and made a break for the AEUG flagship. While they were riding off into the night, Four was carefully observing Camille's every move, looking at his blue hair flowing freely in the wind and held on to his shoulders so as not to fall off the motorcycle.  
  
Four: Camille, can I ask you something?  
  
Camille: What is it?  
  
Quess: (whispers to Cheimin) Oooh, here it comes...  
  
Cheimin: (sips on a noodle and listens carefully to Camille and Four) .....hmm.  
  
Four: Do you know who this guy called...Amuro Ray is?  
  
Quess and Cheimin: (quizzically look at each other) .....?  
  
Camille: Hah! Do I *know* him? Errr...not that much, heh heh. Ummm, well, I've heard of him lately, he seems to be working here on Earth, but I dunno what's his job right now...probably still in the Federal Forces or something...why do you ask anyway, are you a fan or something?  
  
Four: (shakes her head) N...no, it's nothing, really. I'm just...curious. You know?  
  
And at that very moment, Four starts snuggling up to Camille just like she was his girlfriend or something. He could just feel her sighing out, but he wasn't sure if it was because she was relieved, or she was sad. Camille Vidan just sighed as well, lightly, as the three kids beside them looked at the pair "indirectly" though the side carriage's side mirror, wondering if these two were ever like, "meant for each other" or something cheesy like that.  
  
As much as Quess and Cheimin both love shojo manga and cheesy soap operas, the thought still lingered in their minds, why would this girl whom they just met suddenly ask about Amuro Ray, whom they had known to be one of the heroes of the One-Year War and, from what Cheimin's dad told them, who was also a member of one of the AEUG's allies?   
  
For a minute there, the two girls had thought Camille has slowed down a bit. They just *felt* it.  
  
-----  
  
Man 1: (presses something on his walkie-talkie) Have you gotten the targets' destination?  
  
Man 2: Yes, and they seem to be moving out of the vicinity. What do I do next, sir?  
  
Man 1: Keep a close eye on them, but don't let yourself be seen, especially by Number 4. She knows too much about our modus operandi already. You should know better since she came from us. Also, keep us posted on the targets' coordinates if ever they get back to their mothership. We will send some underwater troops later. Do you copy?  
  
Man 2: Roger that. Sir, over and out, sir.  
  
-----  
  
Later that evening, as usual, Amuro Ray was doing a lot of routine checks on everything on board the Mont Blanc, although his second-in-command, captain of the Mont Blanc, Shiro Amada was insisting that he shouldn't have to do that. Anyway, he retorted at his older sub-officer, if he wants everything done right, he has to do it himself.   
  
Amuro: Besides, this is a Federation-backed armed force we're talking about, so it's best that we should have the best equipment even if it's all limited like we could see right now.  
  
Shiro: Hmmm, right. (nods boringly) Do whatever you like, Captain, sir...  
  
Amuro walked away from this ship's captain, out of the bridge, and into a walkway. As he was a bit relieved about the fact that Chris wasn't annoying him tonight, Amuro just mused as usual about the events that had happened seven years past; about Lalah Sun, about his old friends cum colleagues, about Char Azna--no, it was "Quattro Bajina" now, he thought.  
  
Hmmm, Lalah...  
  
Come to think of it, why did he fall for Lalah anyway? Sure, she was cute...it didn't matter about the color of her skin, or her Hindu/Indian origins...she was quite friendly, but...if she really liked him back, why did she still protect Char back then? He could still vividly remember that moment when he had...*accidentally* stabbed at Lalah's immense Zeon mobile armor, the Elmeth.   
  
The guilt was still there, even though he told himself over and over again that he didn't do it intentionally. No way. Not ever.   
  
Amuro Ray did NOT kill Lalah Sun.  
  
.....  
  
Lalah sacrificed herself for Char.  
  
Did she just love Char *that* much? Didn't she just spend some time with *him* and had a mutual understanding of things and a blending of minds just because they were both Newtypes? Didn't they both just have *something* back then, seven years ago?  
  
.....  
  
Lalah Sun is dead. She has been dead three years short of a decade.  
  
  
"Let bygones be bygones." Somehow, Amuro felt like he shouldn't have said that to Char--err, *Quattro*. Hell, who am I kidding? Amuro asked himself. He's still Char Aznable...his old enemy, now an ally by way of a "relationship" between the AEUG and the Kalaba.   
  
What the hell?  
  
Somehow, he regrets that he told Char he hasn't forgotten how he feels about his treatment for Lalah...but then, that was seven years ago, the length of a little lifetime to some people, to others, like him, it was only like yesterday.  
  
Somehow, Amuro realized that dwelling on the past won't help him and the AEUG to eliminate that...that "evil" from within the institution governing them all, binding all nations and colonies into international and intercolonial peace and order. Amuro thought it would be best that he should forget all about what transpired between him and...Quattro in the past.  
  
For a moment there, Amuro had again realized that killing off...making a *genocide* out of people in a colony just because they didn't like how the world government runs thing around, isn't that killing off freedom of speech? Are we to be put under that same martial rule--maybe something even harsher--that the late Giren Zabi once proposed for the citizens of Side 3, once home to the Duchy of Zeon?  
  
Everything was just *so* out of hand, Amuro told himself silently, shaking his head as he went to his room and decided not to do any routine updates on the state of what was left of their mobile suits and what was left of the Mont Blanc's ammunition anymore. The Titans aren't the AEUG's only problem right now, he thought, but then it wasn't *his* problem anymore...at least, not *directly* anyway. There was also this problem with Nerv's "Angels" and the possibility of being able to save Nerv's asses if need be since he had assumed that they, although claiming themselves to be independent, *are* still a top secret instrumentality of the Earth Federation...at least that's how he sees it.   
  
It was not Amuro Ray's job to deal with the politics that transpire between the powers that be, for he would rather choose to stand by and fight in the front line with his "underlings" as he *was* a commanding officer right now--a position that he never even dreamed of achieving--but he couldn't help noticing what was happening to his world, and the people around him as well...  
  
Well, he didn't know about Char--Lieutenant Quattro, though, for his old friend Sayla *did* once tell him that she, along with her brother, *were* children of Zeon Zum Daikun, but then he had assumed Quattro was quite proficient in politics as well as, obviously, fighting as a soldier and a mobile suit pilot...so he thought maybe Quattro'd be more involved with these dealings with Nerv. Which would be a good thing, Amuro also thought, because he could just foresee that the Eva's would be a great help to them...  
  
It was at that very moment that he remembered Evangelion Unit-01 reawaken from its obvious inactivity from quite a fatal attack by one of those "Angels", the first one *he'd* seen, at least, just like a miracle...he reckoned nothing could ever survive *that*, but...what happened, happened. What was even more mysterious was what Captain Katsuragi had told him, that Shinji couldn't even remember a thing.   
  
.....  
  
What *was* Evangelion Unit-01?  
  
Amuro could just foresee that the Eva's would be a great help to the AEUG...provided that Unit-01 doesn't destroy them *first*.  
  
Amuro's little reverie was shortly broken when seconds later, he heard a familiar female voice coming out of the two-way "radio" beside his door and called out at him in the same familiar childish manner she'd always call him. But, this time around, there was just something quite different...  
  
Chris: /--hey *Captain*, are you awake?/  
  
Amuro: (pressing a button on the two-way "radio") Yeah, I'm here, Christina. What's up? And what's with that "Captain" thing you're calling me all of a sudden?  
  
Chris: /Oh...umm, yeah. Eh heh heh. Well, it doesn't matter now, I think you're needed at the bridge, sempai, haven't you heard the announcements on the PA going off a few minutes ago?/  
  
Amuro: I'm sorry...I must have been distracted with something...tell Captain Amada I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?  
  
Chris: /Hmmm...well, okay...Captain, just a suggestion.../  
  
Amuro: Yeah?  
  
Chris: (sighs) /Amuro-sempai, we your sub-officers are quite worried about your being easily distracted and your daydreaming lately and all, it's just that...whatever it is you're thinking about, it's not worth dwelling upon quite a lot...umm...Captain...I'm sorry if I'm imposing anything on you, I'm just concerned--/  
  
Amuro: It's okay, Chris. I'll take your advice into consideration. You guys just don't worry too much about me, okay?   
  
Chris: /Mmmm, all right...I'll see you later, I guess, Capta--I mean, Amuro-sempai.../  
  
The Kalaba mobile suit regiment captain just sighed as he gazed blankly into the ceiling of his room, taking his friend's words into thought as he tried to loosen the collar of his old blue-and-white Federation pilot uniform, thinking that this would help him ease the tension plaguing him right now. Heh, he told himself, even they're worried about me.   
  
Amuro: (sighs and thinks) I guess I really do have to relax a little...hmmm, "whatever it is, it's not worth dwelling upon," she says. Lalah's dead because of me, yet I tell myself over and over again, what happened seven years ago was an accident...  
  
Was it?  
  
Amuro: (shakes his head) I guess Lalah did that for me and for Char...but I can tell she sacrificed her life for *Char* rather than for the both of us. It's almost...annoying, to say the least. I almost pity her...but somehow, she still haunts me, my dreams still speak of her, as if she was still alive, drifting around Earth in an endless cycle, watching over me, over Char...  
  
He went out of his room and headed straight for the Mont Blanc's bridge. For some reason, he couldn't avoid looking out of one of the windows along the halls leading to the main bridge, and in the night sky, he could see a white swan flying with all its grace alongside the Mont Blanc.   
  
Amuro blinked. Well, *this* was quite a sight to see, how could a swan fly at THIS altitude? As far as he knew, most avian wildlife would have died instantly at this height and pressure, but then he just realized this was all an illusion, just like what happened on that fateful day that he had first met Lalah in that deserted colony...a lone swan, flying with all its grace and dignity, truly a beautiful sight to see.  
  
Swan.  
  
  
Lalah Sun.  
  
  
The swan in question soon fluttered away from his view and disappeared slowly into the night sky. For a moment there, he thought the swan looked at him with the typical curiosity of a wild animal to a human being it had seen for the first time. This whole phenomenon made Amuro shudder inwardly to no end.  
  
Amuro: (sighs and thinks, rubbing his head in frustration) I *really* have to get rid of any memory of Lalah...  
  
-----  
  
Kaji: You look worried again, Katsuragi.  
  
Misato: It's...it's nothing. Just... (rubs her head) Just leave me alone for a while, okay? I'm just so tense right now and...gah, whatever. (pours herself some coffee into her mug and sips it)  
  
Kaji: You sure you don't want a back rub or something?  
  
Misato: (stares at him suspiciously) From *you*? No thanks, I'll be fine by myself.  
  
Kaji: (stares at her thoughtfully for a moment and shrugs) All right. You'll have to give me the keys to your house, though, I'm worried about your pet penguin and he might be really hungry by now...  
  
Misato: (gives Kaji a set of keys on a keychain) Please do, I'm also worried a lot about Penpen...oh, and give him salmon on his bowl with a can of Yebisu on the side, he just LOVES that.  
  
Kaji: Mmmm, right. (nods, then thinks) Her penguin DRINKS beer? Heh, like master, like pet, so they say...  
  
-----  
  
Shinji just shook his head in frustration as he had half-regrettably thought it wasn't really necessary that he and Asuka should go for two or more rounds of practice for the rest of the night since he was so tired already and all. Asuka just "hmph'ed" at her partner's "pathetic" unwillingness to take Misato's plan into action and surprisingly put her arms around Shinji's neck and assumed a Lolita-like seductive facial expression. She even pressed her breasts against his own chest to get her point across. Whatever that was.  
  
Asuka: (pouts and traces a finger across Shinji's chest) Well, if you insist on being *so* unwilling...I might just have to *punish* you, if you know what I mean. (winks and giggles)  
  
"Punish"? Shinji thought as memories of that "dream" he had when he had piloted his Eva for the first time and gulped, looking quite...horrified, much to Asuka's amusement.  
  
Shinji: P...Punish? (blushes and sweatdrops) This doesn't involve anything about leather and chains and whips and the sort, does it?  
  
Asuka: (blinks, then snickers) Hmm...we *might* go there, you know? (thinks) God, he really *is* a pervert? Fourteen year-old boys don't usually think about S & M...do they? (shivers inwardly)  
  
Shinji: Well, okay then! What are we waiting for, let's go! ("accidentally" smacks Asuka's butt) Uhhh...oops?  
  
Asuka: (not-so-accidentally kicks Shinji's butt) Uh-uh! We won't go to that NOW, little pervert boy. At least not when you're all so willing to train with this silly dance overnight with me and defeat the Angel, am I riiiiight? (grins at Shinji)  
  
The youngest of the Ikari clan then just sighed. Looks like it's going to be a long night, he thought as he took the opening pose for the courtesy-of-Captain Katsuragi choreographed dance steps. And a very tiring one, too. He then wondered if...  
  
Shinji: Won't we be too tired in the morning when we do get to fight the Angel if we go on like this--  
  
Asuka: Don't be silly, of course we'll get to rest. Well, we'll stop practicing at midnight, that is. That *has* to be okay with you...unless you want be to clobber you, ne? (snickers) And *you* know most of all you don't want to be clobbered by *me*. Heh heh heh heh.  
  
Shinji: Fine, fine. J...Just don't ummm...just make sure nothing involving dominatrix-type punishment will be involved, huh?  
  
Asuka: (rolls her eyes and noogies Shinji) Aaaargh! You really are a pervert, aren't you?!  
  
-----  
  
Camille: How about you stay with me...err, *us* for a while till we get you back home or something? (scratches his head) I mean, it's not everyday that we'd get to meet someone like you...  
  
Four: Oh, I don't know...I mean, I might just be somewhat of a burden to you guys and everything...I think I can just get along well on my own--  
  
Quess: Are you sure about that? You did tell Mr. Blue Boy here earlier... (stares at Camille with a little grin on her face) ...that you have no idea who you really are, and yet you're insisting for us to leave you alone! Goodness, girl, think about it!   
  
Cheimin: Look...we really want to help in any way we can...Four, that's your name, is it? Four Murasame?  
  
Four: Y...yeah...at least that's what they call me...  
  
Camille: (blinks) That's "what they call you"?  
  
Four: Yeah...but I'm not getting into that, let's just get out of here...'cuz I feel something bad's going to happen, what with those cars behind us ever since we got out of the mall earlier...  
  
Camille: ...I just *knew* it! We *were* being followed!  
  
Hathaway: Hey, calm down! You don't want us to crash off-road with your bike and for them to catch us, right? (looks behind him) But then from the looks of things, they don't seem to be *really* pursuing us, more like...  
  
Quess: Spying?   
  
Camille: Why the hell would they merely just spy on us? Why wouldn't they just catch us where they feel that we are vulnerable?  
  
Cheimin: Don't you get it? They're following us so they could attack our ship in one big sweep! This is all a trick! What do you think we can do now, "fearless leader of us named Camille"?  
  
Camille just restrained himself from his perennial mannerism of biting his thumb at situations like this and kept his silence, thinking about what would his next move be, since if they go back immediately to the Agama, the Titans would just locate them and attack them. Not that he's confident enough to defeat them all, it's just that this is the peacekeeping force, the "right hand", if you will, of the Earth Federation we're talking about. Camille knew for sure that the Titans have the biggest guns in the whole wide colony system and they have the money and the resources to prove it too...  
  
Four: (sighs) I wish I could do something to help you, fellas...  
  
Camille: It's okay, Four. I know you want to help any way you can, let's just wait if something happens that you might be able to help, okay? (faces the rest of them and sighs) We shouldn't screw this whole thing up, guys...  
  
Quess: Well, what do you think we could do? I don't think going back to the ship would be a good idea either, but then we *must* find a way to get there and warn them before the Titans arrive, you know?  
  
Four: (thinks) A...ship...?  
  
Hathaway: Camille, have you heard anything about what Dad might have been discussing with ummm...someone on his phone about Amuro Ray actually coming here to Hong Kong to rendezvous with the rest of us?  
  
Camille: Hathaway, even if it *were* true, *we* don't really know *where* we will rendezvous with Amuro-sempai because...well, your dad seems to be pretty secretive about these things and all. But then, I'm surprised that you do know something about this...Hathaway, if you have anything to say, spill it out now...  
  
Hathaway: (shrugs) That's all I know, man.  
  
Camille: (starts to bite his thumb again and rolls his eyes) Great...  
  
Cheimin: But then I doubt if the Titans would make their move so quickly because by that time, we'd be moving ahead of them--oww! Dammit, Mafty, that hurt! (hits back at Hathaway with the same rolled-up newspaper)  
  
  
Hathaway: (leers at his sister) You call me Mafty again and I'll murderize ya, Einstein. Use your head just this once, okay...by the time we arrive there, we won't be able to prepare for even Level 1 Battle Alert because we'd be warming up the ship first and all that crap before launch, you know?  
  
Camille: He's right, but at least if worse comes to worse, we can always defend ourselves using whatever supplies we have in store since we all do know that we're here for supplies anyway. Not that I'm being overly self-confident or putting all my trust in the Mk-II, it's just that I think we'd be in a good advantage since we've earned new supplies and that I just *feel* we'll win like we always did... (looks at Four and holds her hand)  
  
Four: (looks back at Camille and smiles at him) .....  
  
Quess: Well, then, do we go back to the ship or do you guys have any other bright ideas to suggest? I say we all go back to the Agama and do whatever we can in case the Titans follow us all the way there. Let's go!  
  
Somehow, it all slowly came back to Four as she wondered why in the world Camille and his friends should live in a ship. From the way they were talking about their current situation (and from the way Camille looked at the moment, which was kind of tense), Four had assumed these guys lived in some sort of battleship, and they were just a few of this "ship's" crew. Questions soon swirled inside Four's head at that very moment, other than the perennial one being that she desperately wants to know who she really is, and what she was doing right here, right now.  
  
She then wondered at the back of her head, was this fateful meeting with Camille Vidan really was that predestined? As she continued to hear out what Camille and his friends were talking about, she just felt like she *had* met him before, she just didn't know how or when.  
  
Camille: Are you sure you're feeling all right, Four?  
  
Four: Y-yeah. I'm fine...let's go to your ship, shall we?  
  
-----  
  
Not-so strangely enough, Camille's hunch was right--they *were* being followed. Realizing that they, along with the rest of the Agama's crew were at high risk regarding the situation at hand, Camille thought that he might take that risk and go on ahead to their mothership anyway, with their new friend in tow.  
  
Of course, Quess, Hathaway, and Cheimin couldn't help but doubt Four's sudden presence and their all-too sudden budding friendship; indeed, why do they all feel so easy around this girl named "Four Murasame", especially Camille, who was at the moment (at least to Quess', Hathaway's, and Cheimin's point of view) slowly falling in love with the willowy lass while he already has Fa?  
  
Camille soon realized as he got to the point somewhere in the forests where Bright had hid the Agama that there weren't any more cars following them. This was quite strange indeed, Camille thought, but had declared that they should stick with "their original plan".   
  
Camille: Although I *am* getting quite tired of fighting night battles and that I haven't had a decent nap for days already, I'd still think we should go on and tell the Captain about this.  
  
Hathaway: You think so? I'm sure Dad knows about this already since we *are* all involved in whatever the AEUG does...  
  
Four: (thinks and gasps lightly) ...AEUG...?  
  
Camille: Great. You had to tell it THAT loud, Hathaway? I'm sure the people at Side 3 couldn't hear you...  
  
Cheimin: (mumbles) Nice move, Mafty...  
  
Hathaway: (leers at Cheimin) Shut up.   
  
Camille: What the hell is up with this "Mafty" thing anyway?  
  
Cheimin: (clings to Camille's arm and grins) It's a LONG story...  
  
Quess: (rolls her eyes) --which doesn't need any telling right now because we have to tell your Daddy about all of this crap happening here on our Hong Kong "working visit", right?  
  
Camille: Hey, I just had this neat idea, do you guys know how to pilot a mobile suit?  
  
Quess, Hathaway, and Cheimin: (looks at Camille with quite shocked expressions) You're asking *us* if we know how to pilot a mobile suit?!  
  
Four: (frowns) Camille, I don't think they're not fit to pilot any mobile suits yet...if I remember correctly, there has to be proper training for pilots and there's a height requirement...  
  
Cheimin: Are you nuts, Camille? We're fourteen-year-olds, how the hell are we supposed to know about piloting mobile suits?! Dad'll nail your ass on the wall you for this, you know!  
  
Hathaway: Ummm...well...I might know a thing or two about piloting...one of Dad's friends *did* teach me some stuff back then, but it was only basic maneuvering...I also remember Quess was with me back then, right, Quess?  
  
Quess: Yeah, I think we each downed only two mobile suits in the simulator back then...but yeah, Camille, I think we can handle a mobile suit well... (nods)  
  
Camille: That's good enough. Cheimin, you don't have to come along if you don't want to...  
  
Cheimin: (gulps and wipes the sweat off her brow) ...heh! What makes you think I won't go along into battle, Camille Vidan? Mafty, you seem to forget that I was with you two back then when you were being taught the basics of handling a mobile suit! You ALWAYS leave me out, do you?  
  
Hathaway: You were cringing in your friggin pants while we were out there making progress in the damn *simulator*, you little wimp! AND STOP CALLING ME MAFTY ALREADY, willya?!  
  
Cheimin: (rolls her eyes) Yeah, yeah, whatever...  
  
Quess: If you two don't stop I'll tell the both of you on your Daddy about that time you went and stole that cash from his jacket pocket--mmmmph!  
  
Hathaway and Cheimin: (muffles Quess' mouth with their hands and grins at Camille) Couldn't we just get on with this show, Camille? Eh heh heh heh heh...  
  
Four: (chuckles) You guys sure are funny!  
  
-----  
  
Bright: Is that so, Camille? Do you even realize what time it is right now?  
  
The eternal captain of the Agama scratched his head as he put his old Federation uniform on properly so as to assume authority over the situation. For a short while, he faced his children and gave them an "I'll deal with you two later" kind of look and faced Camille to hear out the boy's reasoning.  
  
Camille: Yes, I do realize what time it is right now, but you, most of all, know what'll happen if the Titans would screw us up just because we're sitting around here doing nothing, am I right, Captain? I mean, our supplies should have been maxed out by *now*... (looks at his watch) It's like, 9:42 PM already, right?  
  
Bright: Yes, Camille, our supplies are maxed out right now and I happen to know the consequences of us staying here in Hong Kong for longer than we should stay here but we would have to reconsider that most of us here haven't had a decent nap since a few nights ago, right? *You* know most of all since I've seen you fight that big black Gundam out there like you had all the energy in the world and you haven't really rested since then, am I right, Mr. Camille Vidan?  
  
Four: (thinks) ...a big black...Gundam...? Could it be...? (looks at Camille) Could *he* be...? The pilot I've...I've...  
  
Bright: All right, I'll let you all into your battle stations in *standby* mode, okay? One more thing--we *have* to stay here in Hong Kong because I've ordered Amuro, Hayato, and the rest of the Kalaba, and probably the Evangelion pilots of Nerv if they choose to come along, to meet with us right here in Aberdeen, Hong Kong, since I would assume it's what Commander Brex would do. Oh...and don't let Hathaway, Cheimin *or* Quess pilot a mobile suit even if they insist on doing so just because they've had a few moves taught to them in the past. My wife would kill me if she finds out, so I'll tell you now that they will *not* be allowed to pilot any of our mobile suits. (stares at Hathaway, Cheimin, and Quess coldly, then faces Camille) Is that clear?  
  
Camille: Yessir, Captain sir! (salutes Bright and leads the rest of them out of the room) You heard your Daddy, kiddies, let's go--  
  
Bright: Wait a second. You haven't introduced me to your new friend yet...what's her name?  
  
Four: Oh! Ummm... (bows down politely to Bright and flushes) I'm Four Murasame, nice to meet you, umm...sir... (mumbles) ...or...something...I'm really sorry that I've gotten in the middle of something...  
  
Bright: No, it's okay...umm, "Four". If you need any help on getting back where you came from like what Camille here told me about, just tell us, all right?  
  
Four: S-sure...  
  
Bright: Well, then, let's get this show on the road, shall we?  
  
-----  
  
Four: Camille, do you think it's a good idea that I should come along with you here in this cockpit into battle? I don't really think that it'd be necessary for me to come along as a co-pilot anyway, as far as I know, Gundams don't need TWO pilots, am I right?  
  
Camille: (sighs) I know Gundams don't really need two pilots, Four, but this is the safest place I can think of where you can stay for the moment. You don't have to do anything, just be here, okay? (looks at her and smiles) I'll take care of you, don't worry about a thing.  
  
Four: (gasps and blushes lightly, pauses for a moment, then hugs Camille) Thanks...I guess...  
  
Well, this was quite a violent turn of events, Camille thought. He met this teal-haired girl hugging him at this very moment and at this very...unlikely place and time, but he felt it was almost like...  
  
He felt it was almost like he had known this girl for a very long time now.  
  
Never mind that her features might look like she was older than him by 2 or 3 years. Never mind that he knows less about her than she knows her true self, like what she says. Never mind that...he almost pounded his head against the Mk. II's controls on this one...never mind that he already had Fa...  
  
He just felt that he had a responsibility for Four all of a sudden, like it was kismet, karma, destiny that they had met at an untimely period of their respective lives...in the few hours of their very first meeting for the very first time in their respective lives. But then, he still felt like it wasn't quite right that he should hug her in return...but then...he just hugged her back anyway.   
  
-----  
  
Bright: You think they would go into battle with Camille?  
  
Mirai: You should know better. They're our children, right?  
  
Bright: You're worried, aren't you?  
  
Mirai: You don't sound like you're worried yourself. That's something I've liked about you, honey...but then, yeah, I *am* worried, as a parent and as a former crewmember of the White Base. Quess, Mafty and Cheimin aren't really THAT experienced yet although they *have* been taught the basics quite *involuntarily*. Remember that, Bright?  
  
Bright: Yes, I remember that. I was just thinking they might use that skill one of these days and that they might need it, too.  
  
Mirai: (rolls her eyes) Right...  
  
Bright: And for your information, I *am* worried for our kids and Quess. You do know how these big-shot diplomats go, what with their family and all...  
  
Mirai: But do you think Quess' parents *really* care about her? I mean, why did they leave her with us? Shouldn't she be with them and being the diplomat's daughter that she is? Oh, I forget--well, Quess did tell me once she didn't really like any of those formalities and stuff that her dad does...she even once told me "she wasn't that kind of girl".  
  
Bright: Looks like you answered your own question, Mirai honey...  
  
Mirai: Heh. Well, I *am* still worried for those three kids, even if one of them isn't really our own...Hathaway did tell you Quess was his girlfriend, didn't he? Mmmm, I think that's beside the point, but still, they're all our responsibilities, if you know what I mean, Bright.  
  
Bright: Yeah...you think the Titans will get here?  
  
Mirai: Well, you know *them*, we used to work for the Federation, didn't we?  
  
Bright: Let's just hope something bad doesn't happen tonight...  
  
-----  
  
Shiro: Why would you think something bad would happen for tonight, Captain?  
  
Amuro: (rubs his chin) I don't know. I just *feel* these kinds of things when they're all ominous and imminent and everything.  
  
Shiro: Your "Newtype" senses going off again?   
  
Amuro: I don't know, Captain, probably, probably not. It's all just intuition, hopefully. (takes a sip of his coffee) How are our mobile suits doing?  
  
Shiro: (blinks) Captain, didn't *you* just come out from the hangar a short while ago? *You* should be the one to know that... (rolls his eyes)  
  
  
Amuro: All right, all right, knock it off with the sarcasm already. I was just fooling around with you to see if you're still awake or something.   
  
Shiro: (puts down his coffee mug, stands up, and heads towards the navigation wheel) Whatever, Captain...well, let me ask *you* that question of yours a while ago, how *are* the mobile suits doing?  
  
Amuro: You know very well as I do that our GM's couldn't really fight underwater at this point in time, but I think they could provide extra defense for the ship if the need arises. Christina and I might be able to fight on or under the water, but then we haven't had the proper training for that. All in all, I think we can manage to hold on even for a minimum of few minutes, if we're lucky.  
  
Shiro: A few minutes, eh Captain? Not quite bad, but if you don't really mind any comments made by any of your lower-rank officers, I'd say we should really hurry on ahead to Hong Kong since the rest of us is there.   
  
Amuro: (shakes his head) I don't really mind any comments by my "lower-rank" officers, Captain, as long as they have sense. But then I don't know if hurrying to Hong Kong would be such an easy task to do since we *are* avoiding any attention that we might get from Federation dudes from around this area...which I believe is around Okinawa, judging from our time of departure earlier...  
  
  
Shiro: Right.  
  
Amuro: This kind of thing gets really boring pretty fast, doesn't it?  
  
Shiro: (blinks) I had no idea you get bored with "this kind of thing" that we're doing. Amuro, I've always thought you were like this energetic military-type of guy...  
  
Amuro: You seem to forget that seven years of not fighting in the military would change a person, Captain. Are you speaking from the elderly person's point of view or are you just messing around with me?  
  
Shiro: Heh...you try to figure *that* one out, Captain.  
  
-----  
  
As for the benefit of the reader, let us just skip everything that has transpired from that point after up to the point where Shinji and Asuka, awake and ready to fight the Angel's halves (now fully regenerated as of VERY early morning), would now prepare themselves for the fight that will be their major turning point in their "careers" as Evangelion pilots...and most of all, unwilling participants in the war between the AEUG and the Titans.  
  
Both of them did not speak to each other, nor hesitated for a single second. This, Shinji and Asuka realize as they finish breakfast in unison, would probably be one of their finest moments as Evangelion pilots. Misato kept to herself the fact that she was amazed at how synchronized Shinji and Asuka were in each and every movement that they made, even now that they are both going into their respective changing rooms to fit themselves into their corresponding plugsuits.  
  
Misato: You really think they can do this?  
  
Kaji: Just look at them, they look serious enough to go through with your plan...  
  
Misato: Mmmhmm. They're my kids all right.  
  
Shinji and Asuka: (come out of their changing rooms, look at each other for a second, nod at each other, and face Misato) We're ready.  
  
Misato: Don't just stand there, go into your respective Eva's A.S.A.P. I will brief you on your mission once again when it's time to launch so that you wouldn't forget. You have to make this mission a success. Do you understand?  
  
-----  
  
As soon as they were about to split up into their individual Eva's launchpads, Shinji and Asuka had a few seconds to chat, then it was "Showtime", quoting their superior officer Misato.  
  
Asuka: Don't screw this up, Ikari.  
  
Shinji: I won't if you won't, Asuka.  
  
Asuka: She seemed quite the bossy type of Misato earlier, didn't she?  
  
Shinji: Noticed that too, huh?  
  
Asuka: Well, let's go. (offers a handshake to Shinji)  
  
Shinji: (grins slightly and shakes Asuka's hand) Right.  
  
-----  
  
The face of the third-in-command of Nerv's anti-Angel military operations was as stern as it could be. At least, that's how it seemed in the mini-window that popped up in both of Shinji's and Asuka's monitors.  
  
Misato: /You have around...thirty seconds before your internal power supply runs out. This will be a cinch if you do it in twenty. Don't disappoint me, Asuka, Shinji. Do it in *fifteen*. Over./ Eva-01 and Eva-02, prepare for launch!  
  
Shigeru: Using exit points adjacent to targets' current position!  
  
Makoto: Releasing final locks and initiating launch to surface!  
  
Misato: Good. We will commence operation upon disconnection of the Evas' entry plugs. Lieutenant Ibuki, is or are the target or targets finally fully recovered and in motion?  
  
Maya: Level of disintegration from last time's N2 bombardment is still evident, but the target seems to have fully recovered and is now moving towards the point in Tokyo directly above Nerv HQ, ma'am.  
  
Misato: ..... (rubs her chin and glares at the Angel's halves through the monitor) You lucky bastard. I'll crush you with my own fists even if I have to...Lieutenant Aoba, is everything ready?  
  
Shigeru: Emergency retraction of buildings at Tokyo's surface complete and every civilian has evacuated into their respective shelters, ma'am. We're all just waiting for your final order, Captain Katsuragi.  
  
And "Captain Katsuragi" took a few seconds for herself to breathe in and out, trying not to feel tense about this crucial situation, looking at her colleague Kaji in the process, who just shrugged and gave her an "It's all up to you" look and looked at her subcommander Fuyutsuki at the raised platform behind her. Fuyutsuki just gave his lower-rank officer a simple nod, and as she nodded back, she gathered all her energy to give the final word.  
  
Misato: ...all right. EVANGELION UNITS-01 AND 02, LAUNCH!  
  
-----  
  
Not long after Misato's command to launch did the morning sun beam its rays down on all of Tokyo like it always did since time immemorial. The two halves of the seventh Angel had indeed made their way towards their point of destiny, or at least, directly above that specific point in Tokyo, which is the underground stronghold of Nerv, its hallowed headquarters. One would not know how the Angel would get there, or why, but their pace was steady, silent, determined.  
  
And all the events that followed were, to one who would appreciate the "grace" of the situation, were likened unto a well-conducted opera presentation by a top-of-the-line two-piece orchestra, the members of which were Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley-Sohryu. As soon as the purple and the red had been launched into the surface, they, in perfect unison, had disconnected themselves from their respective umbilical cables, from which their unlimited energy had come from. It would be pretty awkward and very, very messy if Shinji and Asuka had their cables still attached to their Evas' backs anyway.  
  
They had both forty seconds of back-up power.  
  
A little off from how much estimated back-up power time that Misato had told them a few moments ago, but still, Misato's firm command stayed in their minds:  
  
"Do it in fifteen seconds."  
  
As if it were a real stage or circus sideshow of some sort, Evangelion Unit-01 and Unit-02 kneeled down on the cement as if this was their starting pose for the whole program. Of course, this was intentional on the two Children's part; they were, after all, friends since childhood and they would want to impress their peers even just this much.  
  
The two halves of the seventh Angel weren't so impressed by the Evangelions' feeble little "taunt", however, and started to head towards their direction, for the Evas' were blocking their way.   
  
Patiently, Shinji and Asuka waited for the Angels to make their first move, and had risen to a vertical position before they had finally assumed...fighting stances? This was very unusual for both of them, Misato had told herself. Since when did Shinji learn martial arts anyway?  
  
Misato: (thinks) I don't care how you do this, kids...just do it!  
  
Realizing that the threats were indeed imminent, the Angel's halves really did make the first move, making a lunge in perfect synchronicity with each other with their claws straight into their foes' "cores", as if the Evangelions did have cores like Angels had. To the surprise of everyone who was watching all of this happen, the two Evangelions suddenly leapt VERY HIGH into the air, and like acrobats in a circus, flipped around in mid-air for a few split-seconds and drove their respective outstretched FISTS towards the two halves' "faces", yet again in perfect synchronization with each other. Everyone, except Fuyutsuki, was moved in awe at this feat, but Misato felt this isn't yet the curtain call, so to speak.  
  
Misato: Well, that was quick...the Angel didn't even deploy its A.T. field...  
  
Kaji: Looks like they're doing quite well, eh, Katsuragi?  
  
The Angel's halves were quite taken aback and lost their balance at the Evangelions' first attack. Arising from a bed of mostly cracked cement and scraped Angel matter, the Angel's halves made their second attack; this time, it was similar to that of the first Angel that Shinji had fought: a spark of light that came forth out of their "eyes" that were supposed to come at a blinding speed at Shinji's and Asuka's direction.   
  
Aware of this, Unit-01 and Unit-02 again dodged with superhuman speed, turning around like tops, and then running towards their respective targets like madmen, but this time, Shinji's and Asuka's synchronized punches didn't hit home, they were blocked by each of the Angel's halves' "arms", and each prepared to ram their claws into the Evas' faces, but their claws never hit home either as Eva-01 and Eva-02 again turned around with the same "superhuman" speed and each landed a hard roundhouse kick at the back of each of their targets' heads. The Angel's halves had then fallen down hard on the cement.   
  
Seeing this as an opportunity to conclude this entire comedy, the two-piece orchestra in question each grabbed the halves by their faces, slowly raising them up into the air, and as if they had all the strength of the world at that very moment, they had, yet again in perfect synchronization, uppercutted them both into the air with full force, making them "fly" into some considerable height. As the two Eva's back-flipped twice, the Angel's halves came down just in time for both of their opponents to do another uppercut at their respective targets, then each of them, a hard axe-kick so as to pin the halves to the ground. And pin them down, they did: it seemed that the Angel couldn't take any more beatings from Shinji and Asuka at that point, and was bracing itself for the final blow.  
  
Misato: This is it...  
  
Shinji and Asuka then leapt up WAY too high for any standard Evangelion or mobile suit to have leapt, and like they had intended to do from the start, they each twisted around like drills for a split second--or maybe even more--so as to awe everyone that was watching them as if they were doing some sort of circus acrobat show. And then, with an almost-hideously chivalrous battle cry, Eva Unit-01 and Unit-02 each stopped twirling and came down side by side on the Angel's two cores quite hard with each of their opposite lower limbs: the purple one with its left and the red one with its right. It must have been the after-effect of the two Eva's twirling in the air like drills or the gravity that pulled both of their Eva's respective weights down, but whatever it was, Shinji and Asuka and everybody else in Nerv HQ were positively sure that *this* Angel was history. But then everybody was in sheer silence as the two Eva's "final blow" has gone a little bit too far--the force of the kicks dragged the Angel's halves all the way to the nearest mountain range and had left a trail of broken cement, ruined small buildings, and overturned dirt--making it all the more impressive for this little stage play.  
  
When the two Eva's finally stopped, there was soon to be seen a large explosion that looked much similar to how the Angels that preceded this one had "died": a large pillar of light that looked like a cross. Everyone who was watching had almost jumped for joy at the fantastic finale that the two Children had done, even Misato who was indeed proud of "her" Children.  
  
Shigeru: Target has been eliminated! Life signs from the target have confirmed to be negative! I repeat, target has been eliminated!  
  
Maya: (sighs) Thank goodness...  
  
Misato: OHHH YEAH!! THEY REALLY *DID* IT! (jumps from her chair waving a fist in the air) You go, kids! WHOO-HOOO! They did it, they actually di--  
  
Her little moment of joy was then promptly halted as she just realized whom she hugged. Kaji just smirked at her and shrugged nonchalantly, as if this was like "the old days". And as Kaji was about to hug her back, Misato bitch-slapped her ex-boyfriend's cheek. Hard.  
  
Kaji: (rubs his cheek) Ouch.  
  
Misato: Hmph! (turns to Makoto) Lieutenant Hyuga, do you have a status report on the Eva's and their pilots?  
  
Makoto: Ma'am, the pilots are alive, well, and conscious, but...I couldn't really say the same about the Evangelions.  
  
Misato: What do you mean?  
  
Makoto: (gulps) Pardon me for saying this, but...it looks like the two Eva's are unable to move, although no damage has been reported on our monitors. (brings up a little viewing window showing the two Eva's on top of each other, sprawled on an upturned mound of dirt) As for why they couldn't move...ma'am, to be blunt, they've just run out of batteries.  
  
The captain's eyes almost bugged out at what she saw. At that point, she didn't know whether to laugh out loud or feel pity for them and command them as she was supposed to, as their commanding officer.  
  
Fuyutsuki: (thwaps his head) What the hell is this?! Captain Katsuragi, order your pilots to return immediately to headquarters!  
  
Misato: But sir...Lieutenant Hyuga just said they both ran out of--  
  
Fuyutsuki: Just *do* it, Captain. Your pilots are making complete fools of themselves out there. If the JSSDF or the AEUG hear about this...  
  
Misato: I understand, sir. (heads to Maya and takes her comm link) Gimme that! Hey, you two, how's it going down there? Do you read me?  
  
Asuka: /Yeah, we read you, Misato! Did you see that?/  
  
Through another one of two viewer windows that appeared in the control room's big screen, Misato can then see Asuka wave her hand "at her" looking "cheerful as always". On the other window, however, Shinji looked...well, a little bit pissed off than usual.  
  
Shinji: /Tch!/  
  
Misato: Yeah, we all saw that! You kids were great! Now umm...why don't you two get back here to headquarters so we can make preparations for our departure to Hong Kong? You still do have a few energy left to even make a small walk across town, right?  
  
Asuka: /Unfortunately, I don't think so, Misato...although I'd REALLY want some power right now so I can get this PERVERT off of my beautiful Unit-02! Ewwww, get OFF of me!/  
  
Shinji: /Well, EINSTEIN, I happen to have run out of power myself so I couldn't even actually *move* yet!/  
  
Asuka: /Hmph! You're just ENJOYING this moment, aren't you? You? On top of moi? I can almost feel your hard-on here, PERVERT! You think I don't know what you were up to last night while I was sleeping?! Hah! Maybe that's why you were out of focus today, AS ALWAYS! Rrrrrrgh!/  
  
Shinji: /What the hell are you talking about? I was preparing myself for this big fight!/  
  
Asuka: (gives him "the finger") /"Preparing" my steely ass! You were trying to kiss me while I was sleeping!/  
  
Shinji: /WHAT?! You were AWAKE back then?!/  
  
Asuka: /Why you--!! I was kidding back there...so you REALLY wanted to kiss me last night! Auuuggghhhhh! The horror! I think I'm gonna puke...you'll pay for this, Shinji Ikari!/  
  
Shinji: /Aaaaaaarrrgggh, why the hell did I even bother arguing with you?!/  
  
Asuka: /*You* get off me *first*, loser!/  
  
The three bridge bunnies and the on-hand staff at the Nerv control room couldn't help but laugh at this little cute scene that these two Children were making; it's almost like a lovers' quarrel, to most of the people present. Misato and Fuyutsuki, however, weren't so amused by this, although the former was giggling along with her subordinates.  
  
Fuyutsuki: Not again... (shakes his head and sighs)  
  
-----  
  
A few minutes later...  
  
The two Children weren't even speaking to each other as they lingered in the silence of a certain waiting room in Nerv headquarters. Their third companion didn't seem to mind, though, as she just stared at her fellow Eva pilots, as always, in silence.  
  
Asuka: What the hell are YOU looking at, Wonder Girl?  
  
Rei: Nothing...  
  
Shinji: (sighs) Do you have to be so hard on Ayanami?  
  
Asuka: (rolls her eyes) Well, if she'd contributed ANYTHING to our mission today I wouldn't be so "hard" on the First here, right?  
  
Shinji: Asuka, she couldn't exactly help us at the moment because, for one thing, her Eva is being fixed up and she didn't exactly have the same training like we did--  
  
Asuka: Ahh, PHOOEY! I'm surrounded by idiots! Augggghhhhhh!  
  
Their little friendly conversation was promptly terminated when the automatic sliding door suddenly opened up in front of them. Misato was carrying "one of those folders" that Asuka, Shinji, and probably Rei saw that meant they had a mission to perform. Shinji then thought at the back of his mind, why is Rei with us if we have a mission again? Isn't her Eva still under repair?  
  
Misato: Care to repeat that, Asuka?  
  
Asuka: Umm...no, sorry, ma'am.  
  
Shinji: (raises his hand) Isn't Ayanami's Eva still being repaired? Do we three have some sort of mission again? We just finished!  
  
Rei: Is there another Angel coming?  
  
Misato: This has nothing to do with the Angels, kids. Okay, ladies, here's the deal... (looks at her folder and reads its contents aloud in her own words) We are to leave for Hong Kong immediately on a vintage aircraft carrier with the Federation symbol on it. As in, you guys are ready to leave as soon as I finish reading this message to you. This will make any Titan patrol vessel think we're on their side, so we shouldn't expect any seizures being made since we're all going to keep our mouths shut. I expect you know already why we're going to Hong Kong, right?  
  
Shinji and Asuka: Ummm...no?  
  
Misato: Hmm. Well, in case you're wondering, we're not going there for shopping or anything of the sort. You do realize we're part of the AEUG now, right? Come on, follow me to our...mode of transportation for the moment while I explain to you the rest of this unscheduled briefing...  
  
Rei: ..... (follows Misato)  
  
Asuka: Hey, wait!  
  
Shinji: (whispers) Asuka, do you think Misato-san is in the mood to "wait"?  
  
Asuka: (blinks) God, I hope she does...but then from the looks of things, she's probably NOT in a mood for a little tea time chat...  
  
Misato: Are you two kids done yet?  
  
Shinji and Asuka: Ummm...yes'm.  
  
Misato: Good. (runs) Rei will stay here for the time being as her Eva's not done yet. And she might have to stay here for a little while longer under Commander Ikari's orders and under the perception that there might be more Angels heading for Nerv HQ.  
  
Shinji: (runs behind Misato, Asuka, and Rei) But won't she be harmed if--  
  
Rei: Don't worry, Ikari-kun. I can take care of myself. Commander Ikari believes in my ability as a pilot, and that's what makes me confident.  
  
Shinji: ...right...  
  
Asuka: (smirks sarcastically) Heh...  
  
Misato: You two, however, like I said, will have to go to Hong Kong and, from then on, you will have to provide assistance to the AEUG as we are their allies as well as they are ours. I know that from this day forth our lives will be as different as one would imagine it to be, since we all know for a fact that the AEUG is sort of a renegade group formed by an amalgamation of former Zeon soldiers and Federation officers who have seen the--oh, who am I kidding, you kids wouldn't really get all of this political hullabaloo anyway...  
  
Asuka: Hey, don't underestimate us just because we're all 14-year-olds and you're the only adult here!  
  
Misato: Anyway, just do what you can, kids. I'll follow after you once I get through with some work that needs to be done first. Shinji, Asuka, your stuff is already on your "mode of transportation" waiting for you at the old dock just outside town. Rei, you come with me.  
  
Rei: Yes.  
  
Shinji: Okay...  
  
Asuka: Hmph, just as long as my stuff won't get mixed with HIS stuff, I'll be fine... (pouts and turns away from Shinji's line of sight)  
  
Shinji: Yeah, right...like *I'd* mix my stuff with YOUR stuff to begin with...  
  
Misato: Now, now, kids. Behave. You'll need it.  
  
Rei: I think we are here... (stops running and pants tiredly)  
  
Asuka and Shinji: (both stop running and pant like Rei) This is...  
  
Shinji: A black car?  
  
Asuka: How come I have the strangest feeling about black cars coming to take us away...? I've seen these kinds of things in the movies once...  
  
Misato: Yeah, so it seems. (stops running as well and pants lightly) And no, this isn't like "those" kinds of black cars you usually seen in the movies, this is our little umm..."diplomatically immune" mode of transportation as far as this whole war going on. Haven't you seen these license plates? Sigh, anyway...kids... (pats Shinji's and Asuka's backs) I guess this is the end of the line for us, for the time being. Look... (strokes both of their cheeks) I might not be your parent, but still I couldn't help but feel worried for the both of you. Now, I know that I shouldn't be "like this"...but...just take care of yourselves okay?   
  
Asuka: (sighs) Oh, Misato...  
  
Shinji: Misato-san, you didn't have to--  
  
Misato: Heh...I shouldn't even be saying these thing, I'll join you guys later anyway! Well, I guess I'll see you guys later, then. (stands up and shoves them lightly to the waiting service car) Now, move it! Time's a-wasting!  
  
Captain Misato Katsuragi just hated these kinds of goodbyes where her little ones are going off into battle, especially when the battle's over some mindless political squabble just because someone didn't like how the Earth government was running things. She's just sad that children like Shinji, Asuka, Rei...Camille, Fa, and probably countless other innocent children would have to face the harshness of battle at such a young age. Sure, it'd be okay if it *were* battles against the Angels, but an actual "hot" war? It's just insane; Misato told herself as she shook her head and looked at Rei, who just, as always, blankly looked at the black car taking her fellow Evangelion pilots away into Hong Kong.  
  
Rei: Am I to see them again...?  
  
Misato: Hmm? Oh, don't be silly, Rei, of course we'll see them again! (grins at her and pats her hair) It's just that right now...their services are needed somewhere else, since their job here is finished for the time being...hopefully.  
  
Rei: Will my...services be needed elsewhere, too?  
  
Misato: To tell you honestly, Rei...I don't really know. (grins) Hey, tell ya what...why don't we go for a little snack before we see the Commander? I'm sure he'll be back from his...uhmm, meeting any time soon! What do you think?  
  
Rei: (lightens up at the mention of the word "Commander" and smiles VERY slightly at Misato) Yes...  
  
-----  
  
And as we turn back into time a little notch, we shall see how Camille, Four, their companions and the AEUG have dealt with their own side of the story...in this case, in a little place in southern China named Hong Kong, where another clash between the AEUG's "star pilot" and the forces of the Federation-backed Titans would yet again ensue...  
  
-----  
  
Episode 14, "Cinderella Four, Part 1"  
-------------------  
  
In the dead of night, even under the strictest and tightest security that Captain Bright Noah of the AEUG flagship Agama could ever devise, everyone under his wing, even him, had no idea what would befall them for this evening, or early morning, as one would say as a technical term. Or should we say, they had no idea what's going to hit from *under* them...  
  
Naturally, almost everyone at this hour of the night, even those working on military graveyard shifts, would, more or less, feel sluggishness and that tingling feeling where one would be between dreamland and the real world. In this case, however, Titan Lieutenant Ben Wooder took this fact for an advantage and ordered a sneak attack on the Agama, underestimating the AEUG's abilities to stay awake in the dead of night, and thus catching all of them unprepared.  
  
And indeed he was right, to some extent: there were only a few armed guards patrolling the vicinity of the cave where the large AEUG battlecruiser was parked for the time being--at least until Bright's former White Base subordinates Amuro and Hayato and even a little support squad from Nerv come to this rendezvous point. Wooder then guessed losing Four for the time being might not be such a big deal after all--he just let his spies follow her and her..."friends" home. He told himself, these artificial Newtypes--or strengthened humans, as the professor would like to call them--are quite unstable, but they're quite expendable as well.  
  
He just never played with the thought that the AEUG might be prepared for these kinds of sneak attacks.  
  
Namica: Are you nuts? No way I'm going to let you strike like that! You might kill Four, and you do know the budget for research on strengthened humans has been cut due to this whole war we're waging! You better be sure to bring Four back here alive, Lieutenant...  
  
Wooder: Did I say I was going to kill Four as well?   
  
Namica: Well, she will be if you go through with that plan of yours! Sending five Zaku's to attack the enemy while Four's still with them isn't exactly going to let any living thing survive, unless--auggghh, never mind! Just bring her back here alive. She's an asset to the Titans as the pilot of the Psyco Gundam.  
  
Wooder: But what if she doesn't want to come back with us, and that she's been too brainwashed by these little goody-two-shoes AEUG bastards already? You think she'd still be willing to pilot the Psyco Gundam? Of course not. Professor, I want you to calibrate the Psyco Gundam's overall controls for a non-Newtype pilot. I remember you've told me about this the other night, that the Federation might undergo some kind of research involving non-Newtypes being able to control mobile suits usually designed for Newtypes...  
  
Namica: (sighs) ...all right. But don't you blame me if this little operation of yours goes screwy. And let me remind you of one thing, though...if you die, I'll take your position as head of your regiment. (walks away from him and outside the office room)  
  
Wooder: Heh. You don't have to be a bitch about it too, you know.  
  
Namica: Oh, and one more thing--psycommu for Oldtypes is still in its experimental stages, thus still not being fully developed. I can just guarantee you screwing this whole thing up at about 60 percent...*Lieutenant*, since these actions of yours tell me that you're going to pilot the Psyco Gundam yourself once I've adjusted it. Am I right?  
  
Wooder: .....just do as you're ordered. I will hear no more complaints from you, professor. Dismissed.  
  
Namica: Whatever.  
  
-----  
  
Camille: Are you *sure* you're okay, Four? (places a palm over Four's head) You sure look tenser than me...and here I am who's going to pilot THIS Gundam Mk. II...  
  
Four: Yeah, I'm fine. (smiles lightly) Don't worry about me, I'm just...I'm just getting a little bit familiar with the controls inside a mobile suit...well, all of this is interesting, you know? You even have these little screens and windows and buttons and the usual navigating lever and stuff...does this thing run on Linux, though? (snickers)  
  
Camille: Uhhh... (laughs) Umm, yeah, you *could* say that, eh heh heh heh heh...actually I just upgraded this baby into Linux. (pats the computer screen and the target lock mechanism in front of him) You never know when Windows 0085 would screw up, you know?  
  
Four: (giggles) Indeed!  
  
Camille: Hey, how come you know about operating systems when you tell me you don't even know a lot about yourself?  
  
Four: (blinks) Oh, I've just been your average keen observer, that's all...  
  
Camille: A fast learner, huh... (nods) All right, but could you also learn fast from me once I get this baby going into battle?  
  
Four: (pouts slightly) I don't know, but I'll try...I'll just watch you from behind--  
  
At that instant, a large message window appeared on the status monitor in front of them showing the face of the Agama's captain, a face that looked like he was going to give one of those typical military orders again.  
  
Bright: /Camille, you and a few others are going to launch in five minutes. Get ready./  
  
Camille: Yes sir, I understand, sir.  
  
Bright: (nods) /Good. Umm...one mroe thing before I cut this transmission...why are you in the Mk. II while we already have your Zeta ready? Isn't that a little too...inappropriate? besides, I've gone through the specifications of the Zeta and--/  
  
Camille: /Captain, I just have this thing with mobile suits lately: if they're new, I'd test them out first when i'm not in a battle. Otherwise I'd just be guessing what this control does or what that control does, you know?/  
  
Bright: /But if I remember correctly, *you* were the one who "made" the Zeta so *you* should know most of all how it works, am I right, boy? Ahhh, well...forget it. I will allow you to use the Gundam Mk. II this last time. I will assign Lieutenant Emma Sheen to pilot the Mk. II next time. Camille...just a word of advice, the Zeta is *yours*, grab it! If you've invented something worthwhile, *you* should be the first one to use it./ (sighs) /Get ready for launch, Camille. Over./  
  
As the message window closed, Camille breathed in and out deeply. He didn't really usually do that because he'd usually be confident in piloting the Mk. II, but at this moment, he was just a little bit more tense than usual...mainly because there's a pretty girl behind his pilot seat, and this pretty girl just happened to be quite a new acquaintance of his.  
  
Four: (pats his back then kisses his cheek) Good luck, Camille. (smiles at him)  
  
Camille: (blushes) Ummm...thanks...I guess...umm, I think you should fasten your seatbelts or something and sit tight, I'm about to launch in five...  
  
Four: (giggles) Ahh, don't worry, I'm already on it. (sits on her seat and fastens her seatbelts, then puts on her pilot helmet) Ready for launch, Camille?  
  
Camille: (grins stupidly) Yeah!  
  
-----  
  
At that very moment, the Audomura and the Mont Blanc were already nearing China's coasts and are quite wary of their surroundings so as not to fall under a surprise attack by the Titans. It's as if Amuro was scared of the Titans, but his lower officer Shiro never thought of it that way, but then with the speed that both ships have been flying, one couldn't help but wonder anyway.  
  
Shiro: But then, aren't we being a little TOO cautious, sir? We still can beat anything that stands in our way since we do have some of the best pilots around these parts and with those pilots, some top-of-the-line mobile suits...  
  
Amuro: Better careful than sorry, Captain. We don't actually know what lies ahead for us in Hong Kong, putting aside the fact that we will finally be joined with the main AEUG faction. We shouldn't really put much faith in our mobile suits, captain...it's the experience of the pilots we have that I'm worried about. I mean, some of them might be defectors from the Federation but who knows...?  
  
Shiro: Now you're being elitist, Captain. You have to believe in these pilots that we have, you know...it's just that if these kids really have the motivation to fight for us, then why not?  
  
Amuro: "Kids" would be the keyword here, sir.  
  
Chris: (rolls her eyes) Do you *have* to be always like that, sempai?  
  
Amuro: (shrugs) Hey, I can't help it...  
  
Bridge operator A: (turns around from his seat and faces Shiro) Umm...sir, I think we have some sort of a problem here...  
  
Amuro and Shiro: What is it? (both come near the main monitor)  
  
Chris: (follows Amuro) Oooh, this should be interesting... (looks at a certain portion of the the main monitor closely) Hey, is it just me...or are we being followed? Those are quite high concentrations of Minovsky particle radiation in that radar of yours...  
  
Amuro: It's not just you, Christina. We *are* being followed. Damn it, I knew there was something behind all of this silence...how come we never detected this from the first time we left Japan?  
  
Bridge operator A: Apparently, sir, our stalkers seem to have caught up with us just now. Shall I announce a Level 1 alert, sir?  
  
Amuro: Fifty-fifty chance of us fighting effectively above this depth of water, I don't think that's a good idea--  
  
Chris: But sempai, I think we can still fight well, even in or under the water!  
  
Amuro: (shakes his head) You're going for a deathwish there, Chris. These guys might be kooks but they're professional kooks. I have an idea, though...if we can get enough mobile suits to latch on to the Mont Blanc and execute long-range fire. That is, if our supply of charges for beam guns is still efficient enough...  
  
Chris: Umm...correct me if I'm wrong, but...  
  
And at that single moment Chris pointed to the Minovsky particle concentration indicator, which would look like an old-fashioned radar to the layman, as soon as she saw three or four more blinking lights accompanying the three that they had already seen in the "radar" in question. Not only that, they had just watched in silence as two more groups of three blinking lights had been approaching them in their immediate direction.   
  
For that moment, Amuro felt like he could just punch the Mont Blanc's controls out.   
  
Amuro: God damn fucking CRAP! Why the hell haven't we seen this earlier?!  
  
Chris: Oh, God...I think I'm gonna be sick...  
  
Shiro: Must have been the upgrade back in Nerv HQ, hopefully not...I mean, you just don't know when people could just steal stuff from under you these days...  
  
Amuro: What do you mean?  
  
Shiro: Well, Captain, it's like this...not many people get to have top-of-the-line equipment for battlecruisers, right? Well, the one that we have right now... (points to the "radar") I don't think this one's been in top condition ever since I got back here to the ship AFTER the beam ram upgrade. Heh. Looks like everywhere we go, even in Nerv, there's bound to be "people like that"...  
  
Amuro: (shakes his head) Impossible. And let's not point fingers at Nerv here, all right, kids? If we failed to detect the incoming enemy, it's our own fault. What we should--what we *could* do now is just...just...  
  
Chris: Sempai...  
  
A few seconds later and a message window which one of the bridge operators had confirmed to be from the Audomura had shown an obviously tense Hayato Kobayashi in the message window. Amuro immediately knew how his old White Base friend felt and faced him with all the patience he could muster and began to speak.  
  
Amuro: I suppose we've been caught, Hayato.  
  
Hayato: /Looks that way, Amuro. What will we do now? What will YOU do now?/  
  
Pausing for a few seconds, Amuro thought carefully of what to answer Hayato at that very second. Honestly, he did not know what to do at all. If it were all up to him, he'd singlehandedly take out all of these enemy battlecruisers himself, but being the leader of the Kalaba forces that he is, he couldn't help but be concerned for his troops. In the few seconds that Amuro had paused for a thought, another message window appeared in the main monitor.  
  
Bridge operator A: I think there's a transmission coming from one of the enemy ships, Captain. I will put it through. (pushes some buttons and types something in the keyboard in front of him)  
  
Titans officer A: /Is Lieutenant Commander Amuro Ray of the Kalaba on board this ship?/  
  
Amuro: I'm here. What do you want?  
  
Titans officer A: /Lieutenant Commanders Amuro Ray and Hayato Kobayashi of the Kalaba Forces and of the AEUG, I am placing you and your comrades under arrest for conspiracy and inciting rebellion against the Federated Union of Nations. Your two ships will be escorted to the Titan HQ in China where your...rights will be read to you. Any attempt to resist arrest will be met with immediate punishment, in other words, if you open fire, you will be fired upon. What say you, Lieutenant Commander Amuro Ray?/  
  
Amuro: (looks at Chris, Shiro and Hayato) .....  
  
Chris and Shiro: (both shake their heads) .....  
  
Hayato: /Don't look at me like that, Amuro./  
  
Amuro: (faces the Titan officer in the monitor in anger) What other choice do we have?  
  
-----  
  
Camille was once again "having the time of his life", so to speak. As much as he'd like to deny it, but ever since Four came along with him...everything seemed like child's play to him. Well, everything right NOW, that is, as he, along with Emma, Reccoa, and the rest of his fellow AEUG mobile suit pilots, were once again picking off Titan Zaku's like it was nothing.   
  
But Camille noticed something, in the few minutes that he was stabbing his beam saber into the cockpit of his fourth "victim", there was something definitely wrong with this whole "setup". The word "setup" itself gave Camille some mild chills down his spine. He tried to contact Emma, who was herself busy with shooting off her second enemy Titan Zaku's head off.  
  
Emma: /What is it, Camille?! I'm busy here, can't you see?/  
  
Camille: Lieutenant, don't you think this is strange, everytime we're killing off one or two, there's always either two or three to replace them?  
  
Emma: (chuckles) /What is this I'm hearing? You, of all people, afraid of a small horde of Zaku's? You ought to be kidding me, Camille! It's as if you've never fought dogfights like these before! Something wrong, honey?/  
  
Camille: Nothing...it's just that...I feel this is some kind of a trap or something, what do you think?  
  
Emma: /You know, when I was still affiliated with these losers, they always told me, "be prepared for any kind of situation that may arise when in a dogfight". Whoops!/ (makes her GM-II hack and slash its way through an enemy Zaku) /I do hope you get what I'm saying, Camille./  
  
Four: She's right, Camille. You have to be ready if anything happens, whether it'll be good or bad. Aaack, behind you! (points to the warning on the monitor in front of Camille)  
  
Camille: Whoa! (makes his Gundam Mk-II turn around in time to block the Zaku's beam tomahawk with his beam saber) Sneaky, aren't ya? Why not try THIS on for size, creep!? (make shis Mk-II kick the shins and legs of the Zaku repeatedly until it falls down and "kneels", then stabs his beam saber into the Zaku's chest cockpit, making it explode in front of him) Looks like my...ahem, "l33t Newtype senses" failed me THAT time eh?  
  
Four: Uh....eh heh heh, yeah! (thinks) Newtype...Newtype...I'm...sure I've heard of that word before...and...all this noise of...off battle...making my...head...hurt...ahhh... (holds her head and massages it gently)  
  
Indeed, the heat of the battle seems to be just beginning as the realization of Camille's observation slowly sank into the minds of those in Camille's group right now. It seemed that, in the lapse of ten minutes that the brave GM-II and Gundam pilots of the AEUG, their enemies seemed to have increased in number, although they're all quite the same; pathetic, untrained--at least, that's what ran through the seasoned AEUG pilots' minds right now.  
  
And it just so happens, that for this battle, the AEUG pilots have started to feel the inevitable: they had begun to feel tiredness, fatigue, and the like, which would definitely bring the strongest warriors to their knees.   
  
And it starts...two GM-II's were destroyed by a single Zaku's bazooka shot as this terrible fight in Hong Kong went on, and it all came tumbling down from there, but the AEUG pilots were never to be underestimated, after that little "rallying cry" that Emma has signaled to all of her fellow pilots, including Reccoa and Camille, that they had killed off more than the Titans have killed off of *this* AEUG regiment.  
  
But even that didn't prevent the fatigue from slipping in. Soon enough, two or three more GM-II's were destroyed, but their losses were compensated by the hard work that Camille, Reccoa, and Emma were doing. A few minutes later of fighting and the numbers of the Zaku's seemed to be dwindling down to a few, and soon enough, Camille had served up the last Zaku he could find the final blow--a hard-hitting punch from his Gundam Mk-II into the chest cockpit. The impact of the Zaku's explosion that soon followed almost felt like nothing to Camille right now as he made his mobile suit stand erect like a human being would.  
  
Camille: (pants tiredly and wipes off the sweat from his brow) Is that all?  
  
Reccoa: (pants) /Gee, I hope so.../  
  
Emma: /Is everyone all right?/  
  
Bright: /That's my line, Lieutenant. Is everyone all right?/  
  
Emma: /Y...yeah...yes, Captain, I guess so...apart from that we've lost a few of our men.../  
  
Bright: /This is truly strange, people. Why would the Titans exhaust their energy on us when they'd know we'd beat them?/  
  
Camille: Maybe they're all just too stubborn for their own good?  
  
Bright: /They might be stubborn, Camille, but from the few weeks of knowing the Titans, I feel they're all up to something no good...anyway, get back to the ship, people. This battle's over. You can all rest now so in the morning you all have energy to--/  
  
-----  
  
Bridge operator A: Sir, I think we have a transmission coming in from an enemy battlecruiser named the Sudry. Shall I put it on screen, sir?  
  
Mirai: What could the enemy want *now*?   
  
  
Bright: Just put him through.  
  
Bridge operator A: Yes, sir. (pushes a few buttons and types something in the keyboard in front of him)  
  
A few seconds later and a message window from the nearby enemy had appeared just above Bright's "star pilots"' message windows. For the crew of the Agama, the man that was in the message window wasn't very familiar to any of them, but to Bright, he knew the man a little too well.   
  
Bright: Ben Wooder...  
  
Wooder: /Well, well, if it isn't Bright Noah. How's Side 7 going?/  
  
Bright: Much better than you'd expect, Ben. I thought you were expelled from the Academy a LONG time ago? I guess, wherever you go, money talks...  
  
Mirai: You know this guy, Bright?  
  
Bright: Do I know this guy? He's been next to my seat the whole time I was in the Academy back then, figures he'd join the draft when they organized the Titans...this guy's a total flunkout back then if you've ever seen one!  
  
Wooder: (slams his hands on the table in front of him) /The hell is THAT supposed to mean, Bright? You realize you're not in a position to make jokes right now, what with I'm about to tell you.../  
  
Bright: That's supposed to mean you've always been the loser that you were back then, Benny-baby. Heh, and here we now know that you're with the Titans, you're even much more of an idiot than you were--  
  
Wooder: /Shut up, Bright! You think this is still years ago? This is different now, Mr. goody-two-shoes Genius. You've ALWAYS been the better one in the class, even when I was trying hard YOU were the only one who beat me. Well, right now, EVERYTHING'S gonna change. Everything will be turned in MY favor now, since.../ (pushes some buttons in front of him) /...since we have THIS to make you pee in your pants!/  
  
There was just this much silence in the Agama's bridge as two other message windows in the main monitor had respectively shown the Mont Blanc and the Audomura each being escorted by purplish Pegasus-class battlecruisers and looked as if they were outright vulnerable at the moment. Bright and Mirai then immediately wondered why in the world would Amuro, of all people, would be captured so easily, that it's unbelievable.  
  
Bright: What the hell is this supposed to be, Ben, some cheap trick you and your kids have dug up somewhere?  
  
Wooder: /You've always been the sarcastic one, Captain Bright Noah. What you don't realize here is that I have all the cards now and you...have...none! Get it?!/  
  
Bright: So tell me, Ben...when did you become so...psycho all of a sudden, eh? And how come I'm not worried about the welfare of our allies like you expect me to be?  
  
Mirai: Bright, what are you saying?! Amuro and probably Hayato are probably in those battlecruisers! And you're talking like you're all so confident and everything?  
  
Bright: (whispers) Chill, hon...I have a plan, and I'm guessing that Amuro has some sort of a plan as well. Don't worry too much about Amuro and Hayato...  
  
Mirai: W...whatever you say, Bright...I'm just concerned for--  
  
Wooder: /Psycho?! What the hell are you talking about, Bright? I am SO completely sane as you'll see. This here's just a bargain that I'll make with you AEUG creeps and the bargain is...if you guys want the respective crews of the Audomura and the Mont Blanc to live, you'll have to ummm..."throw down your weapons", so to speak, eh? And after that, we'll just have to take you all to the nearest...Federation outpost, right? Heh, yeah, that'll teach you to mess with a "psycho" like me.../  
  
Bright: .....  
  
Mirai: Bright, this is serious stuff! He's telling us to give up all the MS'es and ammunition that we have! What do you tell him?  
  
Bright: (leans forward and stares hard at the monitor) We'll talk to the guys in the Mont Blanc and the Audomura first, Ben. Then we'll have to talk about this...deal of yours.  
  
Wooder: (leans backward and stares thoughtfully at Bright) /Hmm, very well./ (turns towards his left and looks like he's talking to someone) /We'll have the transmission up in ten seconds, Bright. MAKE IT QUICK./  
  
And a few seconds later indeed, Amuro's face came up in a small window pockmarked with lines of static on a certain portion of the main monitor. To Bright, Amuro almost looked no different from when they had last been in work together: but there's just this certain "thing" that distinguishes him from the Amuro seven to eight years ago. But then that doesn't interest Bright right now, seeing the situation at hand.  
  
Bright and Mirai: How the hell do *you* get captured, Amuro?  
  
Amuro: /Grouchy as usual, eh Captain? Oh, Mirai's there too, I see.../  
  
Bright: Answer my question.  
  
Amuro: /I had no idea we were being followed, Captain. Our...Minovsky particle radiation detector seems to have not been functioning properly lately and the next thing we knew, they were all around us./  
  
Bright: This is just *so* typical of some people sometimes...what do you have to say for yourself this time?  
  
Amuro: /Well, what can we do? I guess the little upgrade we had when we were back in Japan did us a little bad.../ (shrugs) /Anyway, I think we'll have some kind of...contingency plan coming up one way or another, you know?/  
  
Bright: Let's not point any fingers at anyone anymore, okay? Do you have anything more to say at this point in time?  
  
Amuro paused for as moment as he heard those words from Bright, and Mirai looked at her husband, blinking at what Bright had just said. "Anything more to say" was part of some sort of code they once had when they were all together in the 13th Autonomous Corps of the White Base: this was indeed that question asking what was that particular "contingency plan" Amuro had for that particular situation. Of course, the reply would have to be spoken "in code": only the original members of the White Base crew knew how.   
  
Amuro: (smirks a little) /From out of the deepest, darkest depths of the sea there will emerge two avatars of woe coming with an entourage of ancient war chariots of unearthly fire; the first one, having a single horn on its head and the deepest purple for its skin, and the second one, red as the flames of the fiery hell from whence it came. It will be uncertain if these avatars of woe will bring death and destruction to the minions of evil or the forces of good, but it is certain that they will come in the time of desperate need. That's all I have to say, Captain./  
  
But then, there was just this little problem: Amuro can make his riddles TOO hard to decipher most of the time. Bright had to commend Amuro for this, but they still have to know if the Titans knew what they were talking about, in case Ben Wooder was eavesdropping.  
  
Bright: ...I see. I'll talk to you later, Amuro. Over and out.  
  
With those words, the transmission from the Mont Blanc was soon cut off, and Ben Wooder's face soon flashed in a message window in the main monitor. Bright looked carefully into the Titan lieutenant's face, looking like he doesn't have a clue what Amuro had just said: they *had* been eavesdropping after all. *Very* typical of a Federation-backed "peacekeeping" force indeed.  
  
Wooder: /Nice talk you had back there with Mr. Amuro Ray, eh? Captain and prot‚g‚ really do understand each other, don't they? Now, were you saying something about talking about this "deal" we have, if ever we *do* have a deal to begin with?/  
  
Bright: .....  
  
Wooder: /...hmm, suddenly you don't look as cocky as you were a few minutes earlier. Finally decided to give it up, eh Bright?/  
  
Bright Noah just stared back in silence as Ben Wooder's imposing figure seemed to pressure the old White Base captain to give it up altogether...at least that's how it seemed to the Titan lieutenant and the rest of Bright's crew. The audience's anticipation was soon broken when Bright calmly answered:  
  
Bright: ...this conversation's over, for now. I'll deal with you later.  
  
Wooder: /--whoa, WAIT! You don't seem to understand what's going on here, Captain. If this conversation's over like you say it is, I guess we'll have to blast the Audomura, the Mont Blanc, *and* the Agama out of their misery, right here and now. You *do* get me, do you?/  
  
Bright: But isn't that against the Federation's rules of engagement when apprehending criminals or delinquents? Or have you not been working on your homework again like you've always done?  
  
Wooder: /What "rules of engagement"? Thos precious little "rules of engagement" you're talking about are nothing but words inked into worthless pieces of paper and they would only apply to Federal Forces wimps like you. We are the Titans, Bright. We do everything we want in order to achieve peace and order within the Earth and her colonies...by any means necessary./  
  
Bright: Heh...seems that the rumors *were* right after all...  
  
Wooder: /Captain Bright Noah of the AEUG, this conversation has gone on for too long for your own good. Are you going to surrender your arms and mobile suits to us or suffer the consequen--/  
  
At that instant, Camille's image on another message window briefly interrupted that little chat between Bright and Wooder. He seemed to be quite alarmed of the situation so everybody has assumed that the boy had something to say about this whole mess.  
  
Bright: What is it, Camille? We're busy here!  
  
Camille: /...I'll volunteer as an exchange for our ships' safety, Captain./  
  
Bright was stunned. This was definitely *not* going according to planned. Has that boy suddenly gone crazy? Bright asked himself as he tried to find the right words to say, primarily about Bright's unwillingness to let Camille "use his groin before his brain."  
  
Bright: Absolutely NOT, Camille. I won't let you. This isn't a time to be so heroic--  
  
Camille: /Are we going to just let these idiots drag us around with their little bargains? Come on, Captain, think about it! It's *me* that these guys want. Without me, the AEUG would have a very slim, or worse yet, no chance of winning this war!/  
  
Bright: Camille, you don't seem to understa--  
  
Camille: /I understand perfectly well, Captain. Don't worry.../ (does a thumbs-up and winks) /I'll be fine!/ (looks behind him and holds Four's hand)  
  
Bright could just faintly hear Four's worried voice sighing out his star pilot's name. He then peered carefully into Camille's face, especially the boy's eyes--they were, surprisingly enough, a little bit like Amuro's just now when they had finished talking.   
  
Camille Vidan had plans of his own.  
  
As much as he'd like to distrust his pilots when they seem to have a "plan" brewing--once, Amuro; now, Camille--these plans of theirs usually went quite well.  
  
Wooder: /The boy's right, Captain. This boy has been on the Federation's blacklist of being the one who decimated most of the Titans' mobile suits with a STOLEN Gundam Mk-II...one of our own...that his FATHER has designed especially for Titan use only. Camille Vidan, have you no shame? You should be working WITH your dad, not AGAINST him!/  
  
Camille: (mumbles) "Elite Special Forces" of the Earth Federation indeed...heh...  
  
Wooder: /I *heard* that, punk./  
  
Camille: /So let's just get this thing over with, shall we?!/ (slams his hands somewhere on his cockpit) /Captain, open the hatches. I'm going out./  
  
Bright: .....very well, Camille. (turns to one of his bridge crew) Open the agama's hatches for immediate launch of Ensign Camille Vidan's Gundam Mk-II, on the double.  
  
Bridge crew A: Yes, Captain. (pushes some buttons and relays some commands into a comm link) /Opening hatches.....done. Ensign Camille Vidan, Gundam Mk-II, prepare for launch!/  
  
Camille: (makes his Mk-II place its feet on the launch pad) /Ready to launch.../  
  
Bright: ...good luck, Camille. I hope you know what you're doing. Gundam Mk-II, launch!  
  
Not soon after Bright's command was relayed, the sound of loud jet boosters went off quite a bit faintly from behind them; the AEUG's white Mk-II had indeed been launched. Everyone crossed their fingers as they knew the Gundam was only armed with its head vulcan guns and its beam saber, thus making Camille a most vulnerable target for the titans. But, strangely enough, at least Camille was wise to bring his shield with him.   
  
Wooder: /Heh. We'll deal with you later as I send out your Camille Vidan's "welcoming party". You can expect the Audomura and the Mont Blanc to come flying by over your airspace in a few minutes. Do NOT try to do any of your dirty tricks on me, Bright Noah./  
  
As Ben Wooder cut off the transmission from the Sudry, everyone in the Agama's bridge rushed here and there after Bright had uttered command after command to plan what seemed to be a sneak attack on the Audomura's and the Mont Blanc's captors.  
  
Mirai: You better be sure of this, Bright. (sighs) I'm really worried for that boy over there...but did you just *see* him? He really reminded me of Amuro in the old days...in this case, Camille's taking too much risks, you know?  
  
Bright: This "plan" will be every bit as perfect as I had assumed it to be, hon. Camille might be a lot hot-headed, but he does his job well, as you've said, like Amuro used to do. I've already alerted Captain Misato Katsuragi of Nerv of our sortie and by five minutes she will have relayed our sortie to her..."advance troops". Tch..."dirty tricks", Ben? Speak for yourself...  
  
Mirai: (blinks) ...nerv? What's this..."Nerv"...?  
  
-----  
  
Camille couldn't believe that Titan lieutenant could be so gullible, he laughed to himself silently as he waded his Gundam Mk-II into the lake water and went on his way to what seemed to look like the Sudry, both to Camille and Four. Four nudged his shoulder and gave him a worried look.  
  
Four: Camille...are you sure you wanna go through with this...plan of yours? I mean, aren't you taking a lot of risks just to rescue your friends?  
  
Camille: I said I can handle it, okay?  
  
Four: (pouts) You didn't have to answer me with *that* tone of voice...  
  
Camille: Huh? Oh...hey, I'm sorry...you know what, I'll tell you...these guys won't know what'll hit then once we get aboard that big fat green Audomura-class heap of junk--  
  
Four: ..... (hugs Camille and thinks to herself) *He* won't know what'll hit him--oh, Camille...I sure do hope you know what you're doing...making deals with these people is bad news...  
  
Little to Four's knowledge, Camille actually "heard" what four was thinking in her heart. Kind of strange, he thought, that someone such as Four would actually know about what system the Titans run in order to get what they want. Does she know something he doesn't? he will have to talk to her later about this...he began to feel worried if he'd made the right decision or not.  
  
Four: Be strong, Camille. (smiles at him and then kisses) his cheek) Be strong...  
  
He tried hard not to blush and kept this excitement of Four kissing him all to himself. Camille would *really* have to deal with the Abominable Wrath of his real girlfriend Fa if she finds out about this.  
  
-----  
  
Well, this is strange, Bright had thought while rubbing his chin and viewing the main monitor in front of him. It seems as if the Audomura and the Mont Blanc have a few...escorts with them.  
  
Bright: Why the bloody hell am I not surprised...do you *see* that? (points to the monitor)  
  
Mirai: Looks like it was a sour deal after all...what do you do next, Bright?  
  
Bright: ...we wait.  
  
-----  
  
Amuro: Have you confirmed the position of the Gundam Mk-II?  
  
Bridge crew A: yes, sir. It's heading towards the green Audomura-class a moderately long distance away from the Agama, and it looks like that green Audomura-class ship is also headed this way.  
  
Amuro: This is serious business...what in the frigging hell is the pilot of that Gundam Mk-II thinking? We can pretty much handle this whole frigging mess without any extra trouble to worry about!  
  
  
Shiro: Maybe the pilot of that Mk-II has some sort of plan, like maybe taking out that Titan Audomura-class ship out, and while they're all confused, he's expecting we should make a break for it? I'm quite puzzled myself, Captain...  
  
Amuro: I already told them the Evangelions would lend us support if we couldn't handle it! Jesus Christ.....well, it seems like a good theory. We could only imagine what Captain Bright Noah and our little friends in the Agama are thinking...  
  
Shiro: Indeed. For the moment, why don't you, Lieutenant MacKenzie, and the rest of our pilots get goinbg and hop into your mobile suits? I'm surer this whole show's going to start any time soon and--  
  
Amuro: That's what I going to say, Captain turns to Chris and leaves the room) Let's go.   
  
Chris: (nods and follows Amuro) Right.  
  
Shiro: ...oh! (turns around as Amuro and Chris go out of the main bridge) Don't forget to make your last will and testament, okay?  
  
Amuro: (shakes his fist) Write yours first, Captain.  
  
-----  
  
This was indeed turning into an awkward situation: Camille volunteers to "sacrifice" himself to free the Mont Blanc and the Audomura from the Titans, but has a plan of his own; at least that's what Amuro and Bright had assumed. But in all of this, everyone in the AEUG who has met this strange but kind and nice-looking young woman known as Four Murasame has still yet to figure out who or what she really is.  
  
Camille has still yet to figure out why he, weirdly enough, felt...easy around her. (And he still has yet to figure out also how to handle things if Fa finds out about "him and Four".)  
  
And as spoken by way of Amuro's riddle, the two Evangelions were indeed on their way to Hong Kong, carried by two vintage aircraft carriers with the Federation logo as some sort of disguise so as not to be unnecessarily detected or arrested by the Titans (just in case the Titans already know of Nerv being unofficially allied with the said rebel group). Shinji and Asuka were more than prepared to show the Titans what they can do, but for the time being, they'll be on their own.  
  
They were both confident that their A.T. fields will protect them, no matter what.  
  
A few more minutes pass, and the Mont Blanc and the Audomura were but a kilometer or two away from the Agama and the Radish, but still being escorted by Federation Salamis-class ships (which were now actually being managed by the Titans). Bright had already told his pilots to stand by for a possible sortie, but he was still slightly concerned for Camille and his female friend.  
  
The Gundam Mk-II soon found itself on what looks like a fishing port blockaded by three Titan Zaku-II's. The young pilot chuckled to himself, why the hell so they still use these outdated Zaku's? Don't they have any blueprints for the Mk-II, so they can chug out a lot of them? Anyway, Camille thought, Zaku's have always been inferior to a Gundam, so breaking free would be a cinch.  
  
Four: Don't be so sure of yourself, Camille. These guys are dangerous, I can just feel it...  
  
Camille: Yeah, I know that. "Elite Special Forces" of the Earth Federation indeed, hah! But...let me ask you a question, Four...how do *you* know they're "dangerous"? Have you actually gone and piloted a mobile suit before and fought these guys?  
  
Four: .....  
  
Camille: Come on, answer me! I won't get mad...just answer me, please. It's just that, with that tone of voice, you seemed like you've had a lot of experience with MS piloting. I really need to know, Four...  
  
Four: .....look, let's just...talk about this later, okay? Just pay attention to what you're doing right now...  
  
Camille: (sighs) ...all right...  
  
Four: (points somewhere in the cockpit's main monitor) Your welcoming party looks like they're not so excited to see you, Camille.  
  
Camille: (gulps) Seems that way... (thinks) She felt it too...could she be a Newtype, like I am? I'll...have to deal with this later.  
  
Still, a few more seconds pass, and after the three Zaku's started to escort the lone Gundam Mk-II into what looked like the Sudry, Amuro and Chris bit their own lips in anticipation. They both realize hell could break loose at the drop of a pin, but even if they do get through with this, it'll be far from over. They all know the Federation has so much more to "show" the AEUG what they're made of since they're the largest army (if not the only one) in the whole colony system, and that this wouldn't even be one-fourth of their whole battle.   
  
The AEUG still has to worry about peace negotiations and getting allies in...most unlikely places. But that's not Amuro's and Chris' job; they'll all have to leave it to the AEUG Supreme Commander...and yes, even Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina. Amuro figured out that he knows Quattro all too well when it comes to politics.  
  
Chris: /Looks like he's already there, huh?/  
  
Amuro: Yeah. Good thing we're all ready for launch if ever this whole thing starts...  
  
Chris: /How do you think we'll manage?/  
  
Amuro: I dunno about you, Chris, but I can fight well underwater...  
  
Chris: (face turns a bit sour) /What's THAT supposed to mean?/  
  
Amuro: (sweatdrops) Nothing! Just that I haven't seen you fight in underwater terrains, that's all!  
  
Chris: /Hmph! You doubt my abilities, sempai...you should know better than to do THAT. Everyone knows that everything I've learned, I've learned it from you and Bernie, and you shouldn't put yourself or my fianc‚ down so much!/  
  
Amuro: Yeah, yeah. Save that bitchy stuff for the Titans, eh?  
  
Chris: (blinks) /What the...?! "Bitch"? Geez...I'll get you for tthis later, sempai...hey, look at that...it seems that our live feed from the bridge is getting a bit screwy.../ (pouts) /How are we supposed to know if we're supposed to launch?/  
  
Amuro: Ahh, don't worry about it too much, Chris...I think it's just static or something...it'll pass. We'll know when we'll be launching if the bridge says so.  
  
Chris: /Gotcha, sempai./  
  
And so everything seems to be coming into order; Camille's Gundam is slowly making its way into the "Sudry" and is being escorted by three Zaku's while everyone else in their own respective battlecruisers awaits what they would assume was Camille's next move.  
  
Four was indeed in a bit of a dilemma, now that she finds out the boy whom she got to be friends with and, weirdly enough, whom she starts to feel very "comfy and fuzzy" with, was indeed the Gundam pilot whom she fought against, even though the memories of that last battle that they had were a bit hazy. As her feelings for this boy were slowly developing, Four would regret the day she would have to face Camille in battle once again; her, in that big black Gundam twice the size of the white one Camille's piloting right now. She tried hard to hide what she was feeling deep in her heart, for she, in one way or another, felt that the blue-haired boy in front of her was indeed a Newtype.  
  
Which was strange, she thought, since she didn't think for one second that she was a Newtype herself. Was she? That, she still had to know...  
  
Four just wiped the sweat from her eyebrow as she gulped slightly, seeing that the three Zaku's from the organization from which she had came from were taking both her and Camille away into that familiar green battlecruiser. She thought it better not to interrupt Camille in his line of thought for the moment, but she thought she might just give it a shot...  
  
Four: Camille, we're nearing the MS dock of that green ship. Are you going to do anything now or do we still have to wait? (holds his shoulders with a bit of a mild grip)  
  
Camille: (holds one of Four's hands) Any time now, Four...be patient...  
  
Four: All right...just thought you might be going for it right now...  
  
Camille: Hey, I might act before I think sometimes but I do think out a plan in times like these! Geez...  
  
Four: Okay already! Just...just don't shout at me again...  
  
Camille: I'm sorry...  
  
Four: No, it's okay. (smiles)  
  
Camille and Four then both waited for the right moment to strike, hoping that any moment now, some mistake would have to happen on the part of their captors. As they both watched the "Sudry" hover down slowly in front of them, opening its MS-sized hatch as if it were welcoming them and their escorts, they both almost bit their lips in anticipation of the whole moment, when suddenly...  
  
...when suddenly, one of the Zaku's accidentally slipped and fell into the muddy ground below the "Sudry". While the other two Zaku's were a bit distracted with helping their fallen comrade up to its feet, Camille took this chance and, pulling out the beam saber handle from behind him, slashed and hacked away as fast and furiously as he can with the two standing Zaku's, piercing the edge of his beam saber into their cockpits after shoving them off the Titan battlecruiser's MS hatch with its shield. The fallen Zaku-II didn't even have time to get up as the Gundam Mk-II stomped on it repeatedly and further destroyed the last of the three by stabbing its beam saber into its chest cockpit.  
  
Soon enough, all hell did break loose as the Mont Blanc launched the remainder of its MS'es and went away at the Salamis cruisers surrounding the Mont Blanc, not giving them any chance to launch any mobile suits of their own and, by Captain Shiro Amada's command, activated the Mont Blanc's I-field barrier, this time serving as a shield rather than its original concept as a "beam ram". Amuro, Chris, and the rest of their fellow pilots all instinctively boosted their way up into the Salamises' bridges as soon as they all steered towards the Mont Blanc to fire away at it. The Kalaba mobile suits blasted away at the Salamises' battle bridges, causing quite a significant number of losses, at least on the part of the Titans.   
  
Amuro and his group were soon joined by Bright Noah's own platoon of newly-fitted mobile suits, with Emma and Reccoa leading the pack. Emma and a group of her own soon separated from Reccoa's group and, as usual, offered support for Camille in taking out the big green Audomura-class battlecruiser.  
  
The whole battle lasted for a bit more than what everybody had expected; the Salamis cruisers did manage to launch some of their own MS'es (Zaku-II's and a number of GM's), and they even managed to pull off a few tricks off their sleeve: there were also quite a sizable platoon of Titan Zaku's that came out from the murky lake just around them, hoping that their sheer numbers will overwhelm the AEUG and the Kalaba.   
  
But then, their quantities seemed to pale in comparison with the already-insufficient number of AEUG mobile suits, but they did put up a good fight against the rebel group's platoon of mobile suits, eventually taking out five or six AEUG GM-II's. But in all of this, they all seemed to fall one by one thanks to Amuro's, Chris', and Emma's battle experience as seasoned MS pilots, as well as Camille's uncanny ability and sheer luck as a pilot.  
  
Emma and Camille weren't having much easy time either as the "Sudry" also did manage to launch a few MS'es of their own, Zaku-II's with pilots that have had more than enough experience to withstand them both for a few minutes. Camille thought he was toast when one Zaku suddenly came up behind him and pointed a beam submachinegun at the back of his Gundam's head when suddenly Emma's Rick Dias came up behind that Zaku's back and shot at it at point-blank range with a beam gun, the shot going through the Zaku's back and out of it chest cockpit.  
  
Emma: /You ought to be careful next time, boy!/  
  
Camille: Y...yeah, thanks, Miss Emma...you saved my life again...  
  
Emma: /Well, what are you waiting for? Fight on!/  
  
Camille: R...right...  
  
And so Camille did fight on, and the battle was really getting ugly as time went by, the AEUG seemingly getting the upper hand in all of this. While the battle raged on, Four just sat there behind Camille silently, her hands trembling as if she was afraid of something. And as the sounds of battle went booming and screaming outside, all of the death and destruction that she had felt what with the pilots of the opposing forces had experienced slowly crept in and take their toll on her.   
  
The only thing Four could do was cover her ears in shock and confusion.  
  
Camille: You feeling okay back there?  
  
Four: Y...yeah, just that I...  
  
Camille: You haven't really been into a real battle before, huh? You seem like you're feeling uneasy with all of this...stuff going on right now, huh?  
  
Four: I...I guess you can say that...  
  
Camille: Just relax, you'll get used to it in a bit. I, myself, haven't really gotten used to the heat of battle until I've fought a lot of them and, you know, won them all. Heh heh...  
  
Four: ..... (snickers a little)  
  
Camille: (blinks) What's so funny?  
  
Four: N...nothing, just that I think you feel confident with this...line of work you're in right now. Well, are you?  
  
Camille: As much as I'd hate to kill people, Four, I'd have to. I was sucked into playing a part in this whole struggle between the AEUG and the Titans and now I feel like I have this big responsibility hanging on my shoulders. I hope you'll understand, Four...  
  
Four: Yeah, I understand, Camille. Just...oh, look out!  
  
Camille: Whoa...!!  
  
To Camille's surprise, Emma's Rick Dias suddenly came up in front of him as if it were flying from the impact of being hit and finally hit home; the two AEUG mobile suits soon fell down on top of the other.   
  
Emma: /You okay down there?/  
  
Camille: Yeah, what was that all about?! You just appeared in front of me and--  
  
Emma: /Well, some Zaku just happened to throw me into your line of direction, thank you very much! Now let's just get up and clean up this whole mess!/  
  
Camille: Yes, ma'am!  
  
And get up they both did, soon enough double-teaming on the Zaku that threw Emma's Rick Dias into Camille's Gundam Mk-II and destroying it. The two mobile suits nodded at each other and jump-boosted themselves up into the main bridge of the "Sudry" and blasted away at it as it was on its way to retreat, withstanding the said battlecruiser's main vulcan gun turrets aimed and firing at them, protecting them both while they were both hacking and slashing away at the "Sudry"'s main bridge. Emma was even a bit worried for Camille as she saw that his Gundam's shield looks like it couldn't take anymore, so she took it upon herself to cover Camille as well.  
  
Soon enough, before it can even aim and fire its main mega beam cannons into the two targets, the Gundam and the red Rick Dias soon jumped off as soon as they knew the whole thing was going to explode--and that it did. Camille almost jumped from his cockpit chair in victory when they had made the "Sudry" explode.  
  
Soon enough, there were a few Titan MS'es and two Salamis cruisers remaining from among the AEUG's and the Kalaba's enemies, which looked like they were about to explode at any moment, went off retreating into a certain direction when they had seen the carnage that had just ensued. Another day, another victory for the AEUG...so it seemed to all of them. Like his old subordinate Amuro, Bright Noah knew this wasn't the last wave, so he immediately radio'ed all of his remaining troops to be prepared for any more waves of Titan ships and MS'es.  
  
Bright: /That will be all for today. All units, return to your respective docking stations. Camille...nice job, but we should all still stay prepared. I have this feeling that the green Audomura-class wasn't their main ship after all./  
  
Camille: A dummy?  
  
Bright: /More or less, yeah, it was just a dummy. The Salamis-class cruisers we just destroyed weren't even half as equipped and prepared as we had thought them to be./  
  
Camille: That's because they're the Titans are all bumbling idiots!  
  
Bright: /You shouldn't speak too soon, Camille. Now you get yourself and your Gundam's bloody ass back here! We still have a lot of repairs to do, especially with *your* MS!/  
  
-----  
  
Yet another shallow victory, Bright had thought as he tried to silence his troops inside the Agama's briefing room, slamming his hands on the podium in front of him.  
  
Bright: Why don't you all just shut up?! You're all acting like kids in a classroom! Jeebus, people, we're all soldiers here! I would at least demand some attention and respect here!  
  
And a few seconds later, the commotion died down, and Bright finally got the attention he needed. Well, except for a few people murmuring here and there, but he's gotten used to that.  
  
Amuro: We're ready, Captain.  
  
Camille: So umm...what's the deal this time, Captain?  
  
Bright: (looks around) Everyone want to pay attention now? Good. Now, here's the deal, kids--although we've won this battle, we still have to wait for our reinforcements from Nerv. Now, I know this situation might go out of hand fast, but remember, we all wiped out their troops with the fewest casualties, didn't we?  
  
Bright's troops were still eagerly listening to his instructions, but then, to him, they all looked like they could use some comments on that "we had a fewe casualties, but we did it anyway" phrase.  
  
Bright: ...good, I'm happy to see you all agree with me, although all of you don't really like it. We're not here in a like-hate basis anyway. At any rate, our third and last batch of new supplies and ammunition will arrive in a few hours. (looks at his watch) It's exactly 10:28 AM right now, and guessing from what Miss Stephanie Luo had told me while she had contacted us earlier, our final supplies will have to arrive at around 12:00 noon, sharp. Any questions?  
  
Camille: (raises his hand) Captain, sir...will the Audomura be coming with us to space if we ever do get to launch soon? I mean, as far as I know, Audomura-class ships aren't "adjustable" into "space-type" aircraft...not that I'm putting down Lieutenant Kobayashi or anything, but...  
  
Bright: Camille, it's already a given that the Audomura will not be coming with us into space. The Kalaba forces, although being an affiliate to us, the AEUG, don't involve themselves in our space operations. Lieutenant Kobayashi told me earlier that he will be heading to India on one of Kalaba's bases there. Anything else?  
  
Mirai: (thinks) India...  
  
Amuro: (raises his hand) I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen. (stands up and faces the audience) As I've already done some research on how the Evangelions operate, that they basically run on an external power source most of the time connected by what Nerv calls an "umbilical cable" to the middle back portion of a standard Eva...pardon me for not furnishing you all with a diagram, but...I'd like to suggest that we work on providing the Eva's with the external power source outlets that they will need. We don't want to have to rely on the Eva's battery backup mechanism as this will even prove to be some sort of a hindrance to us, as well as the Eva pilots. I've also instructed a few of our AEUG engineers on how to deal with the basic mechanics of a standard Evangelion in case they need repairs or upgrades. That's all, Captain. (sits down)  
  
Bright: This matter concerning our reinforcements from Nerv will have to be taken into consideration. Anything else? Oh, Camille...concerning Miss Four Murasame, that lady sitting with you right now...we'll deal with her later.  
  
Camille: (pauses for a few seconds) ...yes, Captain. (looks at Four, who holds his hand tight and looks back worriedly, then thinks) I wonder if...they actually found out who Four really is...I feel this plot's beginning to thick REAL slowly...  
  
Four: (softly) Oh, Camille...  
  
Up until this very minute, Camille couldn't even look straight into Fa's face, when he had accidentally bumped into her as they were about to hold this briefing. He wanted to hit himself on the face right that instant as thought of that little moment between him, Fa and Four. Especially, when Fa asked him "who that girl was. "She's...just a friend..." he told her earlier...  
  
...but he could just sense that Fa knew that Four wasn't "just a friend" to Camille.  
  
Bright: If there will be no more questions, I will dismiss you all now and you will all return to your respective stations and battlecruisers immediately. (pauses for a few more seconds and sighs unnoticeably) Okay. Everybody, stand up.  
And as everybody stood up and saluted Bright as part of military procedure, the Captain uttered the word, "Dismissed," as he saluted back at his pilots and lower officers. He then gathered his papers on the podium and, using a remote control, turned off the map simulator behind him.  
  
Camille then walked up to him, still holding Four's hand, and shyly asked him if he could have "permission to speak".  
  
Bright: We're not in a formation, Camille. If you have something to say, speak up. (stuffs his papers into a portfolio bag)  
  
Camille: Well...it's just that...it's something about Four here. W...what did you mean by..."you'll have to deal with her later"?  
  
Bright: Oh, that. Well, she did say she couldn't even remember who or what she is, right? I just thought I'd go out of my way, speaking for Commander Brex Forra whom I think would do the very same thing, to help her in any way i can. After all, she *is* your friend, right?  
  
Camille: Well, yeah... (rolls his eyes)  
  
Bright: So what seems to be the problem, boy?  
  
Camille: N...nothing. We'll be leaving now...  
  
Bright Noah just looked at Camille and Four go out of the room together in silence. He told himself, "God, Camille...I'd hate to do this, but...it couldn't really be helped if most of us here in the Agama thinks your friend might be a spy..."  
  
Bright: Just think of this as special treatment for an outstanding pilot, Camille... (softly, as Camille and Four were leaving the room) this is for your own good, Camille Vidan.  
  
Hathaway and Cheimin: ...dad?  
  
Quess: Hi, Captain... (sucks her thumb)  
  
Bright: Oh...hi, kids. Hi, honey, Quess...what brings you all here?  
  
Mirai: Bright...I've decided for the three of us to go to India instead of side 7...at least, for the moment. I just thought we'd be better protected there...I mean, since Side 7's colonies *do* have a Federation-Titan military facility...  
  
Bright: Honey, it's okay, I get what you're trying to say. Kids...come here for a second...  
  
Hathaway and Cheimin: (walks over to Bright) Something wrong, dad?  
  
Bright: Nothing...just that daddy's...got a lot of work to do. I do hope you two understand, okay?  
  
Cheimin: We understand daddy. But...just please try to spend some more time with us when you do come back, okay?  
  
Hathaway: .....  
  
Bright: Hmm...let's just hope so, sweetie. Umm...something wrong, Hathaway?  
  
Hathaway: ...nothing, dad. Just that I...never mind. It's...it's nothing important. (shakes his head)  
  
Bright: ...I see. Well, then... (pats his children's backs) I'm sorry if this little unexpected family reunion of ours turned out this way...let's just all hope daddy well get back home fine, okay?  
  
Mirai: Just don't get yourself killed, Bright... (hugs her husband and her children)  
  
Quess: (walks up slowly inj front of the Noah family) Umm...I dunno what to say, but...Captain...  
  
Bright: Anything you'd like to say, Quess?  
  
Quess: Captain...I...I...it's just that...well... (rolls her eyes and sighs) I-it's been an honor to have met you, sir. (clenches her fist) That's all...I guess...  
  
Bright: Well, it certainly is an honor to meet you too, Miss Quess Paraya. You take good care of Hathaway here, okay? (rubs his son's head)  
  
Hathaway: (blushes beet-red) Daaaad!  
  
Quess: (blushes) Yup, you can count on me for that, Captain sir! (giggles and hugs Hathaway) I'll take *good* care of li'l ol' Mafty here. (grins at Hathaway)  
  
With the laughs of the three children leaving the two adults still puzzled with all this "Mafty" business with Hathaway, Amuro just grinned slightly as he watched them from afar and turned around walking towards his destination, wherever it may be. Amuro just shook his head in wonder of "what could have been", had he not been involved in the One-Year War about seven years ago.  
  
Amuro was about to turn 23 in a matter of months, but it seemed little to him anymore...at least, because he was such a broken young man right now to begin with. His mother, here on earth not really wanting her boy to become his destiny.  
  
Amuro hardly knew what happened to his dad after that..."fateful" reunion in a colony in Side 6. he almost felt sorry for the poor man...her then wondered why he didn't just put his dad in a mental institution that very day. He guessed that he didn't have the heart back then...a mental institution could have helped his dad in his state of mind...  
  
...but, as people would say, the past is past. Here is now, but still a few of the past's shadows keep haunting him to no end.  
  
He just wanted to get Lalah out of his mind for good, at that very moment...  
  
And indeed, at that very moment, Amuro's train of thought was soon enough cut off when someone bumped into him. It was the boy, Camille Vidan, who was still being followed by this pretty young lady of short, teal hair and lips of deep purple..."Four Murasame" was her name, to his knowledge.  
  
Camille: Oh, Captain! I...I'm sorry...  
Amuro: Huh? Oh, n...no. It's okay. Carry on... (starts to walk away from them)  
  
Camille: (stands up in attention and salutes Amuro) Sir, yes sir!  
  
Four: (curiously and innocently looks at Amuro) .....  
  
Amuro: (turns around) Umm...your name's Four Murasame, right? (offers a handshake to her) Pretty interesting name, your parents like numbers that much? Oh, and Camille...you don't have to do that...  
  
Four: Y...yeah, that's my name... (shakes Amuro's hand) And I don't really have any memory of having any parents...anyhow, it's a pleasure to have met you, Captain Amuro Ray. (snickers and smiles)  
  
Amuro: Same here...uhh, tell you what. Let's all have a little chat one of these days while you guys from the AEUG are still on Earth, what do you think?  
  
Camille: Uhh...s-sure! I...guess. Eh heh heh. I'd be glad to, sir!  
  
Amuro: Great. Umm... (scratches his forehead lightly) I'll...be on my way all right? You guys be good, and Camille...keep up the good work, okay boy? I see some...potential in you. And take it easy!  
  
Camille: Uhh...thanks, sir...I guess...by your leave, sir. (salutes Amuro)  
  
Four: looks at Camille, giggles softly, then salutes Amuro as well) Be careful, Captain...  
  
Amuro: (salutes back at them) Right. (turns around and walks away)  
  
As he walked away from them, Amuro couldn't help but notice a young girl, about Camille's or Shinji's or Asuka's age, looking...or wor5se yet, more like *glaring* into Camille and Four walking together holding hands. As he thought he'd seen this girl with long, black hair before in a yellow AEUG uniform with Camille before, he just shook his head and thought, this is going to get really ugly one of these days.  
  
Just like how thing got ugly between him and Char--no, Quattro--when Lalah...  
  
Amuro just sighed. Things will definitely get *really* ugly.  
  
-----  
  
And indeed, just as Bright Noah had predicted, this whole deal in Hong Kong was not yet over. Ben Wooder received word from the two surviving Salamis support battlecruisers that the Sudry's decoy had indeed fallen and that his decoy troops had been decimated, yet again by the combined forces of the AEUG and the Kalaba.  
  
Sometimes he just wondered what if he had just taken another job than this one. But that wasn't his primary concern right now...  
  
Poor rookies, he thought, and he then received that things would have to be dealt with by his own hands. He was confident enough that he could both eliminate both the AEUG and the Kalaba itself because now, the Psyco Gundam was up and ready for use by a non-Newtype...  
  
...the immensely ugly and ebony Psyco Gundam was up and ready for use by an Oldtype like himself, he grinned as he played on this thought.  
  
Wooder: We will bury them...  
  
-----  
  
And just as the final assault on the AEUG was underway, the two vintage Federation aircraft carriers holding Evangelion Units-01 and 02 were slowly but surely making their way to Hong Kong.  
  
Shinji then called his redhead partner on his cellphone. After a few rings, Asuka picked up her own cellphone and answered.  
  
Asuka: /I can tell you're excited, Shinji./  
  
Shinji: I can also just feel you're ready to kick ass anytime, Asuka...like I know you always are.  
  
Asuka: /I don't really know if this'll be a "big career decision", as grownups would put it, on Misato's part, since she was so compulsive enough to get us into this war...but yeah, I'm game. How about you?/  
  
Shinji: Whatever rocks their boat, I guess.  
  
  
.....  
  
  
It was 11:20 AM.  
  
  
To be continued  
-----  
  
I'm very sorry for all the delays that this fic have suffered but what could I do? I've just become a very busy person all of a sudden, at least after my graduation from my Foreign Service course. Oh well, but at least right now I've finished this whole thing up. I dunno how much more time I'll spend on just making the next chapter but I'm sure I could make it, more or less.   
  
And for some useless information...I had just begun to watch Martian Successor Nadesico and Serial Experiments Lain. These are very interesting shows, I must say, to say the least.   
  
Well anyway, I'll try to make something out, even if I'm busy with my new venture in life---Law School. As always, C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE. Until then, "Believe in the sign of ZETA...beyond the hard times from now." 


	9. Cinderella Four, Part 2 Cinderella Four...

Amuro: All this waiting for our supplies and reinforcements is starting to make *me* queasy, Captain. It's already 11:35 and we're still waiting here like sitting ducks...  
  
Bright: Not *my* fault we have to wait for them. Besides, whose bright idea was it to let the Evangelions be transported in aircraft carriers anyway?  
  
Amuro: Captain, it's not like we could actually *fit* those two things into the Mont Blanc, you know? Before we both end up in a heated discussion about hangar space in battlecruisers, I'd just like to know if any of those kids from Nerv are going with you guys into space.  
  
Bright: Well, of course they are--wait a second. (leers at Amuro) What do you mean "going with you guys"? You're not coming with us, Amuro? Is this something about "him" again? Or are you losing your touch? I hope it?s not either of them...  
  
Amuro: (twitches his eyebrows) No, it's not about "him", alright? Not anymore. I just think...I *know*? I can't go with you for the time being. I have to finish something here on earth first. Hopefully by that time I'll be confident enough to return to space with your group, if I had the energy and determination by then...  
  
Bright: (looks thoughtfully at Amuro) I?ll leave it to your discretion, then. Not like I'm your superior officer to begin with anyway...  
  
Amuro: What's that supposed to mean?  
  
Bright: Nothing, Amuro. Anyway, why in the hell are you still here aboard the Agama? Get back to your bloody ship where you belong, boy. (chuckles and pats Amuro's back) You have "your own" ship now. Go and manage it, or else I'll have to kick you out of here myself! Heh.  
  
Amuro: Hmm, the last time I heard you calling me a "boy" was six years ago. You should know better than *that*, Bright...  
  
Bright: Yeah, whatever. Oh, and Amuro? Good luck...on whatever you're up to.  
  
Amuro: (taking a deep breath; knowing that this parting would last awhile. And if they're lucky enough to get out of this war alive, too, but can't find the appropriate words) Well...see ya.   
  
As soon as Amuro was about to leave the Agama's bridge, sirens went off and he overheard one of the AEUG ship's bridge operators reporting a high concentration of Minovsky particle radiation from quite a long distance, but was advancing quite fast towards their general direction. This was bad, Amuro thought, and made a break for the Mont Blanc for preparations to deploy MS'es immediately, just in case it was the Titans who were coming.   
  
Amuro sure hoped Captain Katsuragi's kids arrived soon enough...  
  
********************  
  
A Mobile Suit Gundam / Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover  
written by Lloyd Barrieses (kachiko00@yahoo.com)  
Mobile Suit Gundam (c)1978 Yoshiyuki Tomino/Bandai/Sunrise.  
Neon Genesis Evangelion (c)1996 Gainax/Project Eva./TV Tokyo/NAS.  
All rights reserved.  
  
This fanfiction owned and authored by Lloyd Barrieses. Any attempt to   
steal this fic (i.e. putting your name in the credits) shall be met with   
appropriate punishments. I'm serious, folks.  
  
********************  
  
[Act 8]  
  
Episode 13, "Cinderella Four, Part 2"  
-------------------  
  
"Time was of the essence", or so they say. But then no matter how much both Evangelion pilots had hoped that they'll get to Hong Kong's shores more immediately than they expected, they couldn't really do much about how slow the vintage UN aircraft carriers they were in went. Impatiently, Asuka sent her fellow pilot an SMS message on his cellphone describing how badly she wanted to "kick some ass already" and complained about why Misato "hadn't just gone and put them on the Audomura in the first place".  
  
Shinji replied at her with an SMS message of his own that said, though not exactly: "at least we're making progress, right? You have to learn to calm down sometimes, Asuka."  
  
Asuka: (a little furiously pressing her fingers on the phone keys) [How could anyone calm down in THIS situation? And I can't seem to find ANYWHERE to plug this damned cellphone, I'm running low on batteries, you know!]  
  
Shinji: (scratches his head and "texts" her back) [Well, we'll just have to wait till we get to the Agama for THAT, right? Mine isn't doing too well either, and the ship I'm in could use some work on it's airconditioning if you know what I mean... -.-;] (fans himself with a piece of cardboard)  
  
Asuka: [Fine! Gottverdammt piece of...!]  
  
Shinji: [:/ Anyway, are we going to use the very same tactic we did against the Angel that we did a little bit earlier when we were still in Japan?]  
  
Asuka: [Ikari, I have *no* idea...but it *might* work, you know? o.o]  
  
Shinji: [Yeah. I don't have any idea about what's waiting for us in Hong Kong but I'm sure it won't be a free vacation...or maybe it will be, courtesy of the Titans...]  
  
Asuka: [Heh. Well, I guess I'll hear from you later, then. Later, asswipe... D]  
  
Shinji: (blinks) "Asswipe"? What the-- (tries to send her back a text message but his cellphone's batteries run out, making him just pout and grit his teeth) Great. Just great...I can imagine that Asuka snickering right now...  
  
----  
  
Fa just squinted in uninterested amazement as she viewed the Minovsky particle "radar" screen. There *was* something approaching them, probably some few Titan or Federation Salamis-class cruisers (no problem with that, quoted Bright), but she seems to be picking up something as big as a standard battlecruiser, but was moving "a little bit faster than how a battlecruiser should move".  
  
Bright: Are you sure that thing's functioning normally?  
  
Fa: (turns around from her chair) Yes, I'm pretty sure, Captain. I *really* don't think this is anything like a battlecruiser at all, in fact, there seems to be minimal Minovsky particle radiation surrounding one of these big..."things" on the screen right now... (types a few commands on her keyboard and maximizes what she sees on the main screen)  
  
She's right, Bright thought as he examined the main screen closely and rubbed his chin in thought. One of the blinking squares that should indicate that it's indeed another one of those Titan battlecruisers was in fact moving at a steady, yet faster pace than the other blinking squares on-screen. It also seemed to have a few little escorts with it--that means, more mobile suits.   
  
Bright: Amazing. It's almost like one big mobile suit...Fa, alert all pilots for defensive positions in... (looks at his watch) ...in 5 minutes. Alert the Radish as well.  
  
Fa: Yes, Captain. /All pilots, I repeat, all pilots--/  
  
At that point, Mirai, who was standing beside her husband at the time, took one of the swivel chairs near her and sat down beside her husband. As a former helmswoman and tactician under Bright back in 0079, she couldn't help but offer some aid to her former captain.  
  
Bright: Looks like we're in for another round, eh Mirai? Damn these bloody Titans...they just don't know when to stop now, do they?  
  
Mirai: (shakes her head) This looks bad, Bright. Wonder if your kids and I'll still get to go to India at this rate...  
  
Bright: Well, we couldn't afford to be less cautious nowadays, right? The Titans seem as if they have no end to their supply of mobile suits and weaponry, not to mention new ideas in their R&D perhaps to kick our asses out of the colony system... (blinks) What do you mean you and the children are going to India?  
  
Mirai: I just think it's safer for the family to go to India for the time being, since you're so involved with this new war brewing anyway. Not that I'm taking the role of decision-maker in the family it's just that...  
  
Bright: You don't want me to worry half the time about your welfare...  
  
Mirai (nodding): While you should be busy in the war. Besides, Sayla highly recommended India as the most secured neutral country. I think now's the time to check out her claim. But we'll be here for quite a while, helping you out at least, until it's safe for all of us to go.  
  
Bright: (dryly) I've always trusted your judgement in the past, Mirai (his wife gave a wry grin in return, remembering the rather confusing time together during the One Year War; professionally and emotionally). You really don't need my permission...   
  
Mirai: But I do need it. And you know it quite well, dear.  
  
Bright: Yes, I guess I do. (returns reading the clipboard) In any case I can allow you to help out a little, but don't exert yourself too much or anything. It's not like you're already part of the AEUG or something, I just want to make sure that--  
  
Mirai: I'm fine enough as it is, honey. Don't worry too much about me and especially the kids. (smiles and kisses Bright, then walks down to where Fa is and talks with her a little, looks at the monitor in front of Fa, then faces Bright behind her) I might have to figure something out since we *are* low on resources and manpower as you can see... (types something on Fa's keyboard) ...but so far we've been quite lucky as we've only suffered minimal losses as far as our mobile suits and weaponry are concerned.  
  
Bright: So what does this mean, we might have to exploit whatever we have left so at least we could survive until Stephanie Luo comes back with the goods?  
  
Mirai: I guess you could say that. I think it's all pretty obvious already, you know?  
  
Bright: Right. Camille would be our only hope here--  
  
Fa: (sighs and mumbles softly) ...Camille...  
  
Bright: --as well as a few of our seasoned pilots such as Amuro and Emma. I don't had any knowledge as to whether Shiro Amada has had any previous piloting experience but it would be advantageous to us if we could use him too. Fa, try to know if Captain Shiro Amada has had any piloting experience and if the Radish has any more mobile suits to fit him.  
  
Fa: (sighs) ...yes, sir. /Contacting the Radish, this is the Agama.../  
  
Mirai: (pouts slightly and pats Fa on the back) You sure you're up to this, hon?  
  
Fa: Y...yeah. I'm...I'm fine.  
  
Mirai: If you say so...  
  
----  
  
Four Murasame just sighed sadly as she looked at the boy before her, who himself looked as if he was quite ready for the fight of his life, so to speak. She just *has* to tell him the truth about herself *soon*, or else she'll regret it all her life that she hurt this gifted and probably beloved person in front of her...  
  
Camille sensed Four's uneasiness and worry emanating from her senses. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite good at dealing with people's problems, much less *women's* problems, but, trusting his senses that since it's Four who's feeling helpless right now, the blue-haired boy thought it proper that he should help her out anyway with what's bugging her.  
  
Relaxing his grip on one of the Zeta's joysticks, Camille turned around to face her...  
  
Camille: You know what? I?m afraid I have to be frank here--- that you wanted to tell me something. That?s very important.   
  
Four: .....  
  
Camille: It?s not because of my powers, if that?s what you?re going to say...it?s just that...you?ve been very quiet since we were in here. Something?s bothering you, and you?ve been thinking it over for awhile.  
  
Four: Camille, I...  
  
Camille: But you don?t want to tell me...  
  
Four (grimacing): It?s not because a lack of trust was at order? it?s because? it?s personal.  
  
Camille: How personal?  
  
Four (smiling sadly): About my life? in general.  
  
Camille: (pauses for a few seconds, then blinks) ...why do I get the feeling that this isn't gonna be good?  
  
Four: I know you may not like it, but it?s something I have to do. And I?m afraid you can?t help me in this one.  
  
Camille: It?s strange really?  
  
Four: Huh?  
  
Camille: Well, here I am trying to find something to tell you that your past didn?t matter. And that only the present is. But I know it?s something entirely else for you. I wish? I wish I can convince you to stay.  
  
Four: Please understand. How can I be sure of other people from thereon, if I can never be sure of myself?  
  
Camille: (turns back and pauses for a long while, then sighs) Alright. I?ll trust you know what you?re doing. But I promise you, that I?ll be here for you? to wait for your return. So if you?re confused or lost, I?ll guide you back somehow.   
  
Four: (starts to sob softly) Look at me, Camille. Unstrap yourself from that pilot seat, come here where I am, and just look at me.  
  
And Camille did just that. In the narrow space that the Zeta Gundam's cockpit had provided them, Camille knelt with Four and held her shoulders while he looked deeply into her eyes. The young Newtype was right: Four *was* sad in this decision she has to make.  
  
Four: (sobs a little more loudly) Kiss me one last time, Camille. One last time before I go...I don't want our...our brief encounter to end without expressing my true feelings for you. Just...just hold me in your arms and kiss me... (sobs uncontrollably, tears welling in her eyes)  
  
And so, Camille, putting a finger on Four's lips as if to hush her, then caressed her cheeks and kissed her deeply and passionately as a boy his age could ever muster, as if Camille's feelings for Four were mutual with his own. and as they broke the kiss, Camille and Four just sifted their hands through each other's hair and smiled at each other; Four, through teary eyes; and Camille, as sad as he could gaze at her.  
  
Camille: So...how will you be able to get back? Oh--don't bother to answer that. Here... (gives Four the keys to his motorcycle) You do know how to ride a bike, do you?  
  
Four: (giggles) Silly boy...what, you think I'm so dumb that I don't know how to do such a simple thing as riding a motorcycle? Gee whiz, Camille...you underestimate me. How could you? (winks at him) Heh, well, seriously...I've been watching you earlier while we were getting back to the Agama. So far I only know the basics and stuff like that. You know...I remember I was told once that I was a fast learner, and...maybe I am. Who knows...  
  
Camille: Heh heh...well, that's entertaining to know...  
  
Four: (frowns sadly at Camille) I have to go now. Maybe we'll see each other in the battlefield, maybe not...but until then...take care, okay?  
  
Camille: ...yeah. Yeah, I will... (presses a few controls on the "dashboard" that made the globe-like cockpit open in fornt of them) You do know where I parked the bike, right? Just be sure nobody ever sees you...  
  
Four: Yeah, I do...and I will. (proceeds to the opening, pauses briefly, then turns around to face Camille) I guess I'll see you around, then. (sighs and smiles through teary eyes) I love you, Camille Vidan. Goodbye...  
  
Camille: (thinks, while instinctively pulls some levers so as to assist Four down with the Zeta's hand) Don't say goodbye, Four...goodbyes are so sad...I just *know* we'll meet again...  
  
Her feelings might have been hurt because of this big decision that she felt she had to make, but the willowy lass thought it was for the best. Now, more than ever, she felt that the Titans, the people who have "raised" her, and...  
  
...and were the AEUG's, and ultimately, Camille's enemy...  
  
...she felt that they were the only ones capable of helping her now. Tears flowed from her eyes as the Zeta Gundam's hand slowly and finally reached the Agama's floor and she rushed to where Camille's motorcycle was. She was just too sad to turn around and see her..."enemy's"...mobile suit and wave goodbye one last time.  
  
Camille was still in shock over what just happened. He still couldn't believe he let go of her JUST LIKE THAT, but strangely enough, he thought earlier, he also did feel it was for the best. So close, he sighed, yet so far. "I guess it just happens," he tells himself in sad thought.   
  
Camille relaxed as he awaited orders from the Agama's bridge for that imminent battel that may or may not decide his fate on earth. It didn't matter anymore to him either whether the Evangelions from Nerv arrive or not.  
  
After all, he thought at the back of his head so as to block out the sadness he felt at the moment, this'll be the perfect opportunity to test out the Zeta, whether it's really battle-worthy as he had intended it to be or not. But then, the Zeta Gundam wasn't his primary concern right now, he thought as he saw (hopefully not) the last he'll ever see of Four Murasame.  
  
----  
  
Back at the bridge however, as she was helping Fa out, Mirai couldn't help but notice her husband looking a little bit tense and at the same time worried as he was talking to someone on the phone, probably one of the AEUG's colloborators or something similar.  
  
Bright: ...I see. Okay. Just give us a few more minutes for our other people from Japan to arrive. *No*, they won't take long, I'll assume they'll be here at around thirty minutes or less since--all right, fine then. Just give us some more time and hopefully hostilities in your city won't have to arise like they did yesterday. Well, thanks for your time too. (hangs up the phone with an annoyed grimace) Mirai, the city mayor's going ballistic because we're still here in Hong Kong. Apparently he wanted us to leave.  
  
Mirai: I don't blame him. Having an AEUG ship in the middle of such a small city as this is bound to get some unwanted attention. How nervous is he?  
  
Bright: Nervous enough to send us away before we could complete our reinforcements and supplies shipments. We can't just launch off to space without them. Mirai, these Evangelions from Nerv are quite crucial as are the new supplies and ammo. I couldn't afford to--  
  
Mirai: Well, why not do what you said earlier? "We'll have to do necessary measures to ensure our survival as long as the Agama and the AEUG is here in Hong Kong and on Earth." I believe that's what you said more or less, and though it might be hard to do, it's not impossible, right?  
  
Bright: (relaxes on his chair a little) You took the words right out of my mouth.  
  
Mirai: Well then, there isn't really anything more to worry about, right? But then, I'm worried that you have to depend too much on Camille and Amuro. I'm pretty sure they haven't had adequate rest or time for themselves anymore... (looks at Fa briefly) ...do you still think they are a hundred percent for this operation?  
  
Bright: Oh, I'm pretty sure of that, especially with Amuro. He had this uncanny ability to use his insomnia into a more useful exercise. Camille, however...we'll have to keep a close eye on him. He seems preoccupied with something lately...anyway, Fa, have you gotten any info from the Mont Blanc yet?  
  
Fa: (blinks) ...huh? Oh...yes, Captain. The Mont Blanc says they're ready to go anytime and so is the Radish. As for your query about Captain Shiro amada, well, he claims he's still quite able to pilot a mobile suit when needed, but he also says that "in the occasion that he'll have to go along with us into space, he still has to relearn 'everything' first since all he's ever done in the period of his service was land battles".   
  
Bright: I see, thank you, Fa. Well, looks like we have another seasoned pilot in our hands.  
  
Mirai: Bright, I'm still not entirely sure we should put our hopes too much on our pilots, or what's left of them, at least. You seem to lean more into an offensive position rather a defensive one, it's like going into battle with a pig-stick against sword-wielding foes. Just think about it, Bright.  
  
Bright: Then a defensive position we'll apply. Remember that time in New York back in '79 when Garma Zabi attempted to ram his Gau into the White Base?  
  
Mirai: Yeah, but what's that have to do with anything?  
  
Bright: Can't you see? This is just like when Char attacked us back then and they couldn't penetrate our defense because we had the Gundam and--  
  
Mirai: It was *not* just because we had the Gundam back then. We were lucky because mobile suit technology hadn't been fully developed back then so even if the Zeon had managed to pour out their whole Zaku armada on us, with Amuro's prowess, we couldn't be stopped back then! Bright, this is 0087, conditions are different now than they were back then...  
  
As is with the other bridge crew duty officers, Fa looked on at the two spouses arguing on about what better strategy would be applicable for them at the moment and wondered if they do this thing a lot back then in '79 when they were still part of the White Base crew. She even wondered how and why Mirai ever married Bright in the first place if they're arguing like this...it's almost impossible, but then she thought, well, couples are like that.  
  
Hmm, couples.   
  
Her thoughts, however, seemed to fleet away as she inwardly wept about how Camille, *her* man, could do *that* thing to *her*. She couldn't help but feel terrible inside; for the whole fourteen years of her life she'd never loved anyone like Camille, whom she had practically grown up with back on Side 7, and who loved her back as well, but *now*...  
  
Fa: (mumbles) Stay strong, Fa Yuiri. Stay strong...  
  
She just couldn't believe she still loves him even if she's with that...that...that girl. Four Murasame was her name, was it? She thought at the back of her head, what the hell kind of name is *that*? A *number*?   
  
No matter how much Fa wanted to kill that girl for taking Camille away from her, she just couldn't bring herself to do so. If Camille was happy with that girl, then so be it. Let him be happy. She just couldn't believe she *still* loved him.  
  
  
  
Mirai: (shakes Fa "awake") --hell are you doing?! The Titans are coming near! You have *got* to alert our troops for defensive positions ASAP! Are you daydreaming, Fa? This isn't the time for--  
  
Fa: (blinks and shakes her head a little) ...umm...huh? Oh! R-r-right... (weakly) /All units and personnel, I repeat, all units and personnel, prepare for Level 1 battle positions. All pilots, prepare for deployment--/  
  
Mirai: (shakes her head and thinks) This girl's *really* out of it. I even wonder how Bright managed to keep up with her... (sighs)  
  
----  
  
And indeed, what was left of Ben Wooder's mobile suit regiment was headed towards the direction of the Agama, the Radish, and the Mont Blanc. The Titan lieutenant looked and felt more than confident he could trash even all of the AEUG *himself* using the immense now-reprogrammed-for-Oldtypes Psyco Gundam, though he had only gone through a crash course on the mobile suit's controls himself. He had with him five Salamis-class and one Alexandria-class battlecruisers and quite a good number of mobile suits: twelve Marasai's and fifteen Zaku-II's. Quite a formidable army, he thought, and these happen to be just a few of the elite pilots that the Federation and the Titans had ever produced.  
  
Of course, Bright Noah had already anticipated this little turn of events, and although *his* elite pilots were reduced to a handful (that doesn't even include Amuro, Chris, Camille, Emma, Reccoa, and probably Shiro), he wasn't going to let Commander Brex Forra down by losing *this* battle while they were on Earth. He wasn't going to let *anyone* down, for that matter. Everyone in the AEUG depended on *him* right now.  
  
Like a flock of wild ducks, the incoming Titan army was in a V-like position comprised of mobile suits and battlecruisers also in little V-like positions. Of course, the pinnacle of that large V-shaped formation was the Psyco Gundam preceded by five Zaku-II's: this was apparently the best strategy that Lieutenant Ben Wooder could ever muster, and indeed, using Aberdeen's slightly destroyed cityscape as defense, it really did look like their defense was impenetrable.  
  
Namica: /I think the Agama and its subships are within three kilometers from our current position, Lieutenant. All of our elite pilots confirm they are ready and waiting for commands. Should we commence attack?/  
  
Wooder: Yes, Professor. Let us send out a few Marasai's first as a forward squad. The rest of us should go around to their sides and initiate a pincer-type assault on them; I'm sure Captain Bright Noah is expecting we'll be meeting his army head-on--a tactic *he* would use, and what a lot of my fellow officers in the Federal Forces used to do.   
  
Namica: /So you're using what tactics of engagement the Zeon used to employ in operations?/ (sarcastically) /Heh, pretty bright move, lieutenant. You think that's going to *work*? Bright Noah has obviously had more battle experience than you do. And you're using a Zeon tactic, no less! How dumb could *that* be?/  
  
Wooder: (grips tight on his Psyco Gundam's navigating joystick and stares hard at Namica's image on the monitor) You're questioning my tactics, Professor? Be reminded that *I'm* the commanding officer here, not *you*. Besides, if I remember correctly, the Zeon never used a pincer attack on Bright Noah's defunct 13th Autonomous Corps anyway, and this happens to be one of the best options at the moment since we *did* receive reports that the AEUG suffered quite a significant-enough amount of damage. Do I make myself clear, Professor?  
  
Namica: (sneers) /Heh. "I read you, 'captain'"./  
  
Wooder: (points a finger at Namica's face on the monitor) I will have no more complaints from any of you. Got that? Good. Well then, shall we take this show on the road or do we still have to wait till fucking Christmas here?  
  
Namica: /We will commence attack on the AEUG immediately. I will inform every available mobile suit and battlecruiser to execute your plan and thus tie all of the AEUG's ships into a coener and render them in a very complex situation. Over and out./   
  
As Professor Namica Cornell's image in the Lieutenant Ben Wooder's monitor soon faded into static, a few brief seconds later of relaying commands from the Sudry's bridge, the Marasai-Zaku-II forward troop squad soon moves out as planned to act as cover, usually called "cannon fodder" as an insult, for the Psyco Gundam and the rest of that small Titan regiment. For that moment the brazened Titan lieutenant felt these people weren't cannon fodder as they were expected to be...but that was the least of his concerns right now.  
  
Bright Noah soon realized, taking "careful observations" of the environment around him, that he was in some sort of a disadvantage. To one of the three AEUG battlecruisers' sides, there was the open sea, separated only by a mere chicken wire fence wall that plunged into quite a steep cliff. Before them, there was the slightly damaged cityscape decorated with the mountainside that had a large hollow for a temporary overnight shelter for the Agama and the Radish. It was the mountainside, or rather the high *cliff* beside them, that Bright was a bit worried about; the Titans could just come up behind and snipe at them from there.   
  
Even worse, he didn't know exactly where--or *when*, for that matter--the Evangelions could come in and hopefully turn the tide in their favor. He just hoped it'd be near the three AEUG battlecruisers, and very, *very* soon, respectively.  
  
Bright: /Amuro, Camille, Emma, Reccoa, everyone--I do hope you're expecting that the Titans will make the first move, since we're in such a...*threatening* situation at the moment. I sure do hope they *don't* know that yet, but that's not our primary concern right now. We have to hold on until either our supplies come or the Evangelions come, or *both*, even./  
  
Amuro: /I'm banking on the "both" part, Captain. We couldn't really go on empty guns and just a handful of mobile suits when we're fighting out here now, could we?/  
  
Bright: (winces and stares hard at Amuro's image) /Of course we couldn't, that's why we have to wait. Anyway, if you'll let me finish, in case those storage trucks from Luo Industries come, we will have to defend them as well and as much as we'll have to defend our own lives. That means, we will do any means necessary to survive. I'm sure I didn't have to tell you all that, but.../  
  
Camille: /But?/  
  
Bright: /But I don't want you people to die. You all should know that by now...every one of you are like my own children. I'm responsible for each and every one of your lives because your Commander Brex Forra left you for me to take care of./   
  
Camille: /Captain.../  
  
Amuro: /There you go again, Bright. You keep forgetting I'm only two years younger than you./  
  
Bright: /That and all the other bloody crap. Now all of you know that I'm THAT concerned for all of you, but don't expect me go and spoon-feed everything you need to know. Now, you all know what to do since we're running a bit low on weapons and ammo--and that is, might I remind you once again, to cover each other's back. I know you people know that too already but this times, double your attentiveness. Double your vigilance. And last of all...just live through. That's all./  
  
Emma: /We'll live, Captain. Don't worry too much about us!/  
  
Chris: (does a thumbs-up and winks) /Yeah! We'll kick their asses off of this planet if we have to!/  
  
Shiro: /I'll make sure we'll win, Captain. The Mont Blanc and the Radish will do everything they can to protect the Agama. Heh, good thing you let me pilot one of these GM-II's...these things'll be unlike the ground-type RX-78 I used to pilot back in 0079 but it'll do.../  
  
Chris: (looks beside her as if she was sitting next to him; her image was beside Shiro's) /You sure you're up to this? It's been a while since you've piloted anyway, Captain Amada, sir./  
  
Shiro: /Christina, it's not like I've forgotten everything that I've learned in "Mobile Suit Piloting 101", you know. Besides, you make it sound like I'm too old for this already, I'm still thirty-something, you know!/  
  
Bright: /I trust your judgment of your own piloting abilities, Captain Amada. Well, anyone else care to give their last rites, anything?/  
  
Everybody who was listening in to the AEUG captain's before-battle message almost snickered at that, but they know pretty well Bright looked damned serious, what with his tone and all; it was some sort of a tradition among pilots to already write or have written their last rites before going off into a "dogfight", using the trem used for military plane fights. One of a soldier's talents is, of course, to die in battle.  
  
Camille: /We won't die, Captain. Lieutenant Emma just told you that, remember?/  
  
Emma: /Oh, Camille, that was just to encourage us all! You never know what's going to happen.../  
  
Bright: (clears his throat a little as his troops discuss in mumbles and whispers) I see you all look ready to go. Well, then. Hope to see you all alive and well, and good luck, ladies and gentlemen. All units, prepare for launch!  
  
Fa: /All units, prepare for immediate launch. I repeat, all units, prepare for immediate launch. Standing by for 3 minutes to open hangar hatches...to the Radish and the Mont Blanc, likewise prepare your units for immediate launch. Battle will commence in five minutes, else be prepared for an immediate pre-emptive strike by the Titans.../ (thinks) Camille...be careful...  
  
----  
  
Each and every one of that motley crew known to the Titans as the rebel group of "terrorists", the AEUG--or what was left of them--immediately readied themselves for an imminent strike by that approaching regiment led by none other than one of Bright Noah's classmates when they were in the military academy. The seasoned captain of the Agama had anticipated that Ben Wooder would have had prepared himself for this encounter as well as he did out of that fact that they *did* come from the same military academy back then (although for the most part the Titan lieutenant slacked around in the old days). All of the available pilots, old and new, were themselves ready to fight and to die for this war--every one of them did not opt for the latter, however.  
  
Camille gathered all of his courage for this moment as this was his first battle in his Zeta Gundam, the product of sleepless nights of blueprinting, researching, exercise of technical expertise, and of course, finding a more reliable operating system than what's been usually installed on most mobile suits--he didn't want to risk a system crash in the middle of a dogfight, especially the one he's about to be in.  
  
Amuro, Chris, and Shiro each ran everything they've learned through their heads as if this were some kind of college exam or whatever--not that they need to do that, but a pilot has to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstance--such as this one. Shiro Amada wanted to curse the gods for giving him a "measly GM-II" but at least this was better than that time before he was assigned to be the commander of the 08th MS team: he faced his former-enemy-now-spouse Zaku-ridden Aina using only a "measly Ball". He'd just have to deal with the fact that a GM-II isn't that good as his old RX-79(G), but that was the least of his concerns right now. Amuro and Chris, however, looked pretty content, confident, and ready to "kick Titan ass and defend the Agama, Radish, and Mont Blanc" with their customized Rick Diases, quoth Chris.  
  
  
Chris: /Just remember, this isn't like back in Japan, right sempai?/ (grins)  
  
Amuro: /No time for that. So please be silent./  
  
Shiro: /Now you two stop: you might hurt each other before the enemy does, all right?/  
  
As is with the rest of their fellow pilots, Emma in Camille's "old" Gundam Mk-II, Reccoa in Quattro's "old" red Rick Dias, and the rest of the GM-II squads from the Agama, Radish, and Mont Blanc, were likewise ready to defend the AEUG ships from the incoming Titan offensive. Reccoa Londo felt a little spiteful of the fact that Lieutenant Quattro Bajina wasn't around to...to help, at least, and that she was piloting in *his* mobile suit.   
  
Emma: /You feeling all right, hon?/  
  
Reccoa: (grips her Rick Dias' navigating handle) /Y...yeah. I'm just...I'm just...I'm fine, really. Let's just get through this, all right Lieutenant?/ (smiles at her on the monitor)  
  
Emma: /If you say so...I don't want the Titans to get you, that is./ (thinks and sighs silently) Well, everyone seems to be tense lately, I'd guess...oh well. We might just have to get through with this, like you say, Reccoa...  
  
After all, Reccoa thought, he'll be back when...when they meet up with him in space, right?  
  
----  
  
Bright: All right, kids, listen up. As all of you already know, the Titans will be here and they *are* fast approaching. Be alert and on your guard; we've only what we have left. Be careful out there. Your respective bridge operators will be here to guide you all throughout the way if you people need anything. Over and out. (turns off the comm link)  
  
  
Mirai: And yet, your allies from Japan haven't even come yet...  
  
Bright: Yeah. I wonder where they are right now...  
  
----  
  
Shinji and Asuka sneezed.  
  
Asuka: /Oops!/ (sniffs and wipes her nose)  
  
Shinji: /Sorry about that. Someone must be talking about us...I'm real lucky this ship's captain has a battery recharger for this damned phone, you know?/  
  
Asuka: /Right. So should we make a grand entrance to show them what we've got or what?/  
  
Shinji: /You mean like what we did to that Angel earlier? You sure about that? We'll be fighting a lot of mobile suits again, I'll bet, and we don't even have "Misato's horrible music" playing in the background...I guess we'd do good. I hope./  
  
Asuka: (pauses for about two seconds) /It's *really* nice to know you agree with me, Shinji./  
  
The two ersatz "Federation vintage aircraft carriers" rounded up and around the area a few kilometers from Aberdeen, Hong Kong's dockside. Their respective captains and crew carefully chose where they could finally dock the two immense military water vessels holding two of Nerv's equally immense humanoid Evangelion units which were, in fact, being already configured to get their power source from the ships via their respective "umbilical power cables".  
  
  
Shinji and Asuka likewise carefully brainstormed their strategy over their cell phones as to how they can manage to fight with the AEUG and against the Titans for the first time in days...maybe weeks, but whatever happens, the two Children were ready to fight as members of the AEUG, for the moment, that is.  
  
----  
  
A certain vintage military helicopter was speeding its way above and through the Philippine Sea a few minutes ago and now was hurrying over the South China Sea, looking as if it was chasing something over the sea. The pilot thoughtfully mused on the wonders of science and technology in this year of UC 0087, that it can make even certain marine vessels or helicopters like the one she was piloting at the moment "preserved for museum use" even more efficient that they were during the late 20th century, a point in time so far from where they were right now. She then hoped silently that she'll be able to arrive in Hong Kong even before "they" do; she was just too worried for those two...friends of hers.  
  
From afar, one could just pass it off for a Federation helicopter (for the old name of the Earth Federation was in fact, the United Nations), but if one would look at the helicopter at point blank range, one could definitely see those familiar red letters and the halved maple leaf encompassed about with an old, familiar adage, the paint almost chipped off to non-recognizance...  
  
"God's in His heaven, All's right with the world."  
  
Misato: If Ritsuko were only here to see this I'm sure she would have had a hell of a time. Shinji, Asuka, hold on. Your *Mommy's* coming.  
  
----  
  
The AEUG was at an advantage: while its mobile suits and battlecruisers hid themselves among the ruins of fallen buildings, their ace pilots were sniping like crazy behind these ruins like they were some sort of natural shields. Unfortunately for them, though, the enemy Marasai's and Zaku's do have "bombs and grenades" so their employed tactic would be...  
  
Bright: These bastards are carpet-bombing us! Unbelievable! (turns around to his crew) Is everyone okay?! Is anyone hurt?!  
  
Fa: I--I'm all right, Captain...  
  
Bridge operator A: All safe, Captain...  
  
Bridge operator B: Same here, Captain...  
  
Bright: That's good to know, thank goodness. /You little bloody bastards, use your bazookas, for crying out loud! We have to penetrate *their* defense because we can't afford for *them* to penetrate into *our* defense, DAMN IT!/ (turns to a bridge operator) Are the 100-mm vulcan gun turrets ready for firing?  
  
Bridge operator A: Available personnel has already been assigned to the vulcan gun turrets, Captain, sir!  
  
Bright: That's good. Order to fire at will, immediately. Aim for the Sudry and its mobile suits.  
  
Bridge operator A: Aye, sir! /Vulcan gun turrets, aim for the enemy ship and fire at will, I repeat--/  
  
Bright: Fa, how are our pilots?  
  
Fa: So far we haven't had any casualties, Captain. We seem to have a tight defensive position since our mobile suits can snipe from afar without any danger of getting hit thanks to this part of town: the landscape's giving us quite the advantage, Captain.  
  
  
Bright: I hope that goes on till our guests arrive...  
  
Emma had a bit of a hard time adjusting to the Gundam Mk-II's controls since it's been a few weeks--or maybe even months--since she's piloted one, but at least she hasn't lost her touch. Hiding against a certain ruined building, so far she's hit a few blows to three or four Zaku-II's or Marasai's but she's only managed to "frag" one.  
  
Camille: /Lieutenant Emma, you think this is just a "first wave"? I mean, I have this feeling that this isn't going to stop like it did just earlier, you know...for all I know the Titans might have to send in a whole--/  
  
Emma: /We can't be too sure of that, but the Earth Federation *is* the biggest army, navy, air force, and space force to have known existed as of this age, so let's just expect the worst while hoping for the best.../ (takes aim with her beam rifle and fires, connecting with a Zaku's arm blasting it off its body)  
  
Camille: /Okay.../ (likewise takes aim at a Marasai's head and fires at it, sending it reeling to the ground)  
  
And yet this was only "stage 1" of Ben Wooder's "plan"; he had managed to use balloon dummies as cover as well as utilizing Zaku-II and Marasai units that have upgraded weapons (beam submachineguns and grenade bazookas) to snipe effectively at the AEUG's mobile suits.   
  
He still has yet to hear from the bridge that this Titan regiment had fragged any AEUG mobile suits or battlecruisers; so far Professor Namica Cornell has reported to him a minor "problem"--those AEUG mobile suits were indeed using ruins of old buildings as a crude defense against his regiment's offensive.   
  
Wooder: /Pretty good strategy, Bright Noah. I'm afraid I can't let this go on, though. Professor, I'm going in. Alert two or three of our elite to go with me and the rest to act as cover while we penetrate through their defenses./  
  
Namica: /Consider it done./  
  
As she had managed to destroy her second enemy mobile suit for the day, Chris noticed something from among the scores of Titan mobile suits. Something "strange", so to speak--there was movement among the enemy. She did not feel pleased with this, so she asked her "mentor" if she was just seeing things or the enemy really was moving in closer towards them.  
  
Amuro: /Seems that they are moving in, Chris. Either they're just being stupidly reckless--/ (gets a Zaku-II on his crosshairs and fires) /--or they're up to something we don't already know about. Christina, since you're the farthest away from us, can you see what's happening in front of you?/  
  
Chris: (shakes her head and loosens her collar) /Nuh-uh, too much smoke and dust here, sempai...looks like I'll have a hard time here, CAN ANYONE GIVE ME A HAND HERE, PLEASE?! I dunno how much I could hold on if these creeps keep bombing this place.../  
  
Christina MacKenzie was indeed in quite of a tight situation for the moment: since she was so unlucky to be the farthest from the group, the Titan mobile suits were bombarding her to the point that she almost couldn't retaliate at all. She just cursed her luck as she made her cobalt blue Rick Dias kneel to the ground.  
  
Shiro: /I'm going in. You two--/ (turns towards two GM-II's beside him) /--cover me while we go to Ensign MacKenzie's position right *there*./ (makes his own GM-II point towards the blue Rick Dias' general direction)  
  
Kalaba pilot A and B: /Yes, sir!/  
  
As soon as there was an opening, Shiro and the other two AEUG MS'es moved out to provide support for Chris as carefully as possible so as not to get hit themselves, raising their Gundam-like shields to cover themselves and ran towards where Chris was, something she was pretty grateful for later.   
  
Even though the Zeta Gundam had quite good airconditioning inside as he had designed it himself, Camille couldn't help but likewise loosen his collar and gulp his spit down hard as he sensed something was definitely wrong with this picture. Why would the Titans make such an "easy" offensive when they probably know by now how very (uncompromising) the AEUG's current position is? The last thing Camille wanted right now is for another Titan mobile suit platoon to strike them "behind their backs" so to speak. He then turned on the frequency to the Agama's bridge and tried to contact the captain himself about an idea he had at that moment, and probably a chance to utilize one of "his" Zeta Gundam's multiple features.  
  
Camille: /Permission to speak, sir--/  
  
Bright: /Now what, Camille... HEY, WATCH OUT!/  
  
Camille: /Wha--?! OH. SHIT!!/ (fires a grenade about to hit the Zeta Gundam's face with its beam rifle and successfully shields himself from the blast)  
  
Bright: (slams his hands on the table in front of him) /DAMN IT, CAMILLE! I guess *now* you know better than not paying attention to your work, huh? What the bloody hell are you doing?!/  
  
Camille: /S...sorry, Captain.../  
  
Bright: /Go ahead and speak up, quick!/  
  
Camille: /Well...you see...isn't this a bit...strange, Captain? I mean, since I'd think the Federation has enough spy planes swarming all over Hong Kong and I don't think they're dumb enough to ignore the fact that we're practically between *them* and a steep cliff here, right? Captain, sir, I think maybe I should go and strike some of these bastards from the air--/  
  
Bright:/Don't tell me you're going to test out the Zeta's capabilities in a middle of a battlefield are you? Camille, we have *plenty* of time for that later, stay on your position and--/  
  
By the time Bright had finished his sentence, it was too late--Camille had already pushed the controls that enabled the Zeta Gundam to transform from its usual mobile suit mode into a flying "mobile armor" mode that made it look like one of those hovering fighter jets of old.   
  
Bright Noah just gritted his teeth and shook his head as he saw his wayward juvenile star pilot launch off into the mountains behind the whole of the AEUG troop. Whatever was Camille Vidan up to was beyond Bright at that minute, but Camille did say something about a possible pincer attack that the Titans could use to their advantage due to their "really bad positioning".  
  
Bright: (grits his teeth, having his order being ignored like that was, and always is, one of his pet peeve) Damn that rookie. What *does* this kid know about milita-- (pauses for a few seconds, then walks over to Fa's position, tells her a few commands)  
  
Fa: Yes, sir, right away, sir. (puts an overhead view map of their current location) Image online, sir, as you ordered...  
  
Bright: Thanks.   
  
Mirai: That kid has a good sense... Ben Wooder is using a Zeon tactic against us, Bright. Any ideas?  
  
Bright: It's a pincer attack, look at these things over here... (points to a few blinking figures on the map that signified enemy units) ...they could use the mountains behind us as an advantage, too. Damn it... (pauses again for a few seconds and sighs) We proceed with this operation as planned, but with a few minor changes. Fa, can you alert five of our mobile suits to head out to the back of the Agama and tell them to be on the alert to provide support for the ships?  
  
----  
  
Four Murasame seemed to be oblivious to all the raging explosions happening all around the place. The key word here is "seemed"--actually, Four was trying to withstand the physical and emotional pain she was feeling right now. As her feelings for Camille were still the same (and had probably become stronger because of her resolve to return to him once all of this was over), and as for the physical pain--ears ringing, she just *so* wished for sound-proof earplugs right now as she rode Camille's motorcycle along a certain empty, evacuated road not that far from where the battle was happening.   
  
But it wasn't just the ringing between her ears and the dust that swept up from behind Camille's motorcycle that was bothering her--there was something about these explosions that kept her unsettled all throughout the searing high noon sun. Something deeper--something that she had feared that might come out had she stayed with Camille through it all...it was something concerning her "true" personality, or the lack of it thereof...  
  
She stopped the motorcycle, leaned her head against the odometer, and gritted her teeth in pain, massaging her painful head in hopes that the pain would go away.  
  
"It" was definitely starting to take over her again; her "other self", the ruthless Titan within her, the mindless killing machine that the wretched Professor Namica Cornell and her ilk have created of her, and probably countless other guinea pigs.  
  
This time, at least for a little while longer, she had managed to control herself.  
  
Hopefully.  
  
She then turned Camille's motorcycle around...into the fray, where Camille was.  
  
----  
  
The young Newtype in question had indeed seen through the Titans' plan of action and started to make his own rounds from beyond the small hills surrounding the three AEUG battlecruisers and their handful of mobile suits, killing a few Zaku-II's and Marasai's and therefore using the mobility and agility of the Zeta's mobile armor form to his own advantage, dodging beam and bazooka/grenade attacks closely but effectively.  
  
Lucky for Ben Wooder the cockpit of the Psyco Gundam provided for him a zoomed view of the AEUG's newest addition to their mobile suits--or mobile armors, for that matter--something that looked like a jet fighter of old, a little bigger than a typical jet fighter, but no less agile and powerful.  
  
This was indeed a big threat to him and his forces. A *very* big threat, no less. He just *had* to do something *now*.  
  
Wooder: (grips the Psyco Gundam's navigating joystick and loosens his collar after taking his pilot helmet off) /I am going in. You, you, you, and you, come and escort me to that flying mobile armor over there. Professor, back me up and fire your main cannons at these MS'es surrounding the   
  
Titan pilot A: /But Lieutenant, it's far too dangerous!/  
  
Wooder: /We already have them cornered, so don't worry. All of you, follow the Psyco Gundam. I'll give them a little taste of Minovsky particle goodness myself.../ (aims his spreading beam cannon at the general direction of the AEUG's ships and mobile suits)  
Namica: /Don't blame me if you get yourself killed, Lieutenant. What you're doing is too dangerous for your own good.../  
  
Wooder: /If we're going down, we're taking them along with us. Let's go, people, time's a-wasting!/  
  
And so the immense, ebony Psyco Gundam had indeed advanced to the AEUG, with four of his elite pilots acting as cover from AEUG fire and therefore setting itself up for some "hot and spicy spreading beam cannon action".  
  
As if on cue, Camille suddenly sensed that familiar "evil" aura that he had felt when he had last fought "that big black mockery of a thing that looked like a Gundam", but this time, it was "weaker" than before, and as his Zeta Gundam zipped past the last of his targets, he banked right, flying towards the thing he had expected to meet once again: it was that "big black ugly-as-hell Gundam".  
  
Camille: (whispers to himself as the image filled his cockpit screen and grins) Heh, back for more, aren't you? You big black fucker...well, *this* time, I'll make sure you'll suffer...  
  
Bright: /Be careful, Camille! Your position doesn't look good from where that *thing* is, we'll send some support for you and--/  
  
Camille: I'm perfectly fine, Captain. I don't want to lose any more of our men. (flies around the two Zaku's and two Marasai's assisting the Psyco Gundam and fires at them; the enemy shields Camille's beam rifle attacks as if it was nothing and continues firing at Camille's Zeta) Damn, these things are tough...  
  
  
Bright: /This is a formation where the MS'es with the thickest shield armor protect their "main weapon" from enemy fire before they fire at the enemy themselves, I bloody *told* you to be careful, boy! Damn it!/ You, inform the personnel manning the main guns to aim at the black Gundam and fire at it, quick!   
  
Soon after Bright had given the order, all three AEUG battlecruisers had already aimed their main mega beam cannons at the Psyco Gundam, but it seemed as if the Psyco Gundam wasn't even fazed at this sudden turn of events. Bright had then wondered why, but as he had given the final order to fire at the Psyco Gundam, the Sudry, and their surrounding mobile suit squadrons and support ships...  
  
A pinkish barrier surrounding the Psyco Gundam had deflected these main mega beam particle attacks, leaving the Agama's captain and his crew agape in wonder, gawking on at what had just happened.  
  
Bright: .....an I-field barrier! Why didn't I think of *that*?!  
  
Shiro: Looks like they have an I-field barrier with that thing...  
  
Chris: ...oh, shit.  
  
Amuro: /.....I-field barriers can't withstand missile and/or melee attacks, we *have* to get close to that thing over there and fire at it or at least slash away at it!/  
  
But it was as if they *could* get close anyway--the Titans' position was quite advantageous for them as well as the AEUG's position was advantageous to them--at least, only for the while, as it looked like the Titans were definitely about to penetrate through the AEUG's defense line.  
  
  
  
They didn't know it yet, but as the Psyco Gundam reared up its spreading chest beam cannon after it had opened its hatch, Bright just had this weird..."thing" pass through his head right now, as if it was a spark of instinct that he just had to react to--  
  
Bright: /Everybody--/  
  
The spread beam cannon looked as if it gathered all the energy around it and the Psyco Gundam, taking aim as it did earlier at the AEUG's--and Camille's--general direction, as the Zeta was indeed rushing itself towards the Psyco Gundam as if it was performing kamikaze.  
  
Camille: ...what the hell?  
  
Wooder: ...heh.  
  
Bright: /--Evasive meneuvers!!!/  
  
A flash of blinding light then enveloped all of the AEUG for that brief moment, the sound and smell of gundarium armor being melted with intense heat can thus be sensed at that instant, along with the screams of soldiers, pilots, humans destined to die in that flash...  
  
----  
  
By the time Bright's message had gone through, around five of the AEUG's GM-II's had already been decimated by the sudden spreading beam attack the Psyco Gundam had just done. Shiro, who had ducked in time as well as the other pilots who had heard Bright's warning, was then reminded of that distant memory back when he was in the Federation, and his wife was a Zeon test pilot...  
  
It had indeed reminded him of the "Apsaras", that immense Zeon mobile armor that his wife Aina used to pilot against him, the MA that fired a large-scale, concentrated beam cannon attack very similar to what the Psyco Gundam had just done and had therefore annihilated a large part of a certain city in New Guinea, around seven years ago. It's not as if it was a very significant thing in the One Year War, but still...  
  
But still, to Bright, Amuro, Mirai, and everyone who's been with the White Base crew, they can still vividly remember the horror that the Duchy of Zeon had unleashed on a third of the Federation fleet, by way of Giren Zabi's "colony laser", a very, very large space colony-sized weapon of mass destruction.  
  
  
  
The AEUG resolved never to let those events happen again.  
  
But at their current situation, the AEUG was in no position to make an offensive; they had already lost five GM's to that Psyco Gundam's spreading beam attack, and Fa reports that the Agama has sustained "damage in the hull and bow," but nothing significant that will impede the Agama's performance. The Radish and the Mont Blanc were in similar condition, but at least the Mont Blanc had raised up its own I-field barrier before that dreadful enemy MS had ever fired at them.  
  
  
Bright: (rubs his chin) How the hell are we going to win now...?  
  
Mirai: (gulps) ...I don't know...  
  
As per Amuro's out-of-the-blue suggestion earlier, all the remaining GM-II's and Rick Diases aimed their "clay bazookas" at the Psyco Gundam and fired at it to "no mercy", in hopes that it will not be given a chance to recharge its spreading beam particle cannon and further doing damage to the AEUG as it is. Unfortunately for the AEUG, though, its MS defense squad was still intact and, obviously, defending the Psyco Gundam from any form of attack.  
  
Fortunately for the AEUG, though, Camille had instinctively and narrowly dodged the spreading beam particle cannon attack that had just happened a few *seconds* ago. He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he was the AEUG's only hope at the moment...and as he transformed back into MS mode right smack in mid-air, he pulled out his beam saber from behind him and made a break for the Psyco Gundam--this time, determined and confident that he will "kill" this giant Gundam-in-weird-mobile fortress (MA) mode...  
  
But Camille will first have to worry about the now-five surrounding MS defense squad around the Psyco Gundam, he thought as he sized up what was left of the enemy MS'es in front of him. A steady but temporal calm enveloped the AEUG and the Titans as soon as the Zeta Gundam just *stood* there as if it were staring into wherever the enemy MA's cockpit was, reminiscent of showdowns in cowboy movies of old.  
  
Wooder: /Hey, Gundam pilot./  
  
  
This was most unusual, Camille thought as he heard the enemy MA seemingly taunting him, using the MA's standard "public address system" mechanism equipped in most MS'es. Unusual, but expected, he further thought.  
  
Wooder: /Do you really think you and your AEUG buddies can take me and my troops down? Pretty cocky for terrorist scum like you, but that's to be expected. You rebels will go down right here in Hong Kong, China, planet *fucking* earth, right *now*. Get my drift? YOU HEAR ME BACK THERE, BRIGHT NOAH?! I *KNOW* YOU CAN HEAR ME!/  
  
Bright: .....  
  
The Agama's captain eyed the Psyco Gundam's image in the main monitor carefully and tightened his fists in minor frustration; he waited for that right moment, when the enemy would once again tilt its ugly spreading beam particle cannon's barrel, aiming at them, and doing further damage than "cracks and melts in the hull and bow", to quote one of his bridge operators, Fa Yuiri.  
  
  
And what Bright Noah had expected had finally come into execution; the ebony Psyco Gundam had indeed aimed its particle beam cannon at the Agama's direction. For a second, Bright's eyes had met with Fa's--then made a slight nod at her. She nodded back and fed instructions "to all units" to "duck as necessary and at the precise time".  
  
Wooder: /I'm not one for long speeches like Braun Blutarch, you know. Let's do this, AEUG./  
  
And yet again, that lethal flash of light that came out of the Psyco Gundam's chest by way of its spreading beam particle cannon had enveloped all of them for that instant. The Zeta Gundam had once again fell out of its way to avoid itself of the beam attack, but its young pilot was then worried for the welfare of his allies just a quarter of a kilometer away from him. If he just had that chance to protect them this time, more lives would have been saved...  
  
Bright's expression had remained stern, calm, and unmoving even as that "ray of death" had indeed wrapped the AEUG and its battlecruisers and mobile suits in that flash of light, a gesture most unlikely when faced with danger, so thought Bright's spouse Mirai as she covered her eyes with her hands as did Fa and the other crew on board the Agama's, and probably the Radish's and Mont Blanc's...  
  
  
A little smirk just curled up his lips as soon as the proverbial smoke had cleared and everything was clearly visible.   
  
To everyone's surprise, two humanoid figures, red and purple and around the Psyco Gundam's general height, looked as if they were protecting the Agama with some sort of barely-visible orangeish hexagonal shield. The pilots, staff, and personnel of the AEUG's MS'es and battlecruisers sighed in relief for these two saviors as the Titan forces just had their jaws drop in doubtful wonder and plain surprise.  
  
Bright: (mumbles) You're a little late, kids.  
  
Shinji: /Is everyone all right?!/  
  
Asuka: (grins evilly) /Heh. These beam weapons get weaker and weaker everyday, don't you think?/  
  
Camille: Those two...  
  
Amuro: /Thank *goodness* you two are here!/  
  
  
Wooder: .....oh, SHIT.  
  
----  
  
  
Episode 14, "Cinderella Four, Part 3"/"'Dance Like You Want to Win!', Redux"   
-------------------  
  
Bright Noah looked at his watch as a single bead of sweat trickled down his cheek; it was already thirteen minutes until 1:00 PM, and the sun was doing a good job of countering the cooling effects of the Agama's bridge's air-conditioning system.  
  
Bright: /So what took you kids so long?/  
  
Shinji: /W-w-we're so sorry, Captain, we had to get our Eva units hauled into these two aircraft carriers, and it almost took forever to get ourselves here, we had to--/  
  
Asuka: /There's no need to apologize to the good Captain, Shinji./ (breathes in and out deeply and sizes up the Psyco Gundam) /Is *that* supposed to be our next...*ahem*, "victim"? The Federation ought to make better designs of mobile suits next time...personally, I think this big black creep sucks, if you ask me.../  
  
Shinji: /Who are *you* to talk about MS design, Asuka?/  
  
Asuka: (raises an eyebrow) /Heh. Who am *I* to talk about MS design, Ikari Shinji-kun? I just happen to be someone who's already been through the subject of MS design when she was still in college! *You* think before you talk, Shinji, I also happen to be the leader here./  
  
The sun's heat might have also gotten to Ben Wooder's head at that very moment; he was quite stunned to see these two new--they were obviously not mobile suits, to the best of his judgment--two new "robots" with some sort of invisible yet impermeable shield protecting them and the rest of the AEUG. And what was worse, he had next to almost no more energy as far as the last spreading beam attack he had done a few seconds ago was concerned.   
  
This turn of events was indeed very, very bad, he muttered to himself.  
  
  
How in the bloody hell did the AEUG come up with such...innovations?  
  
Wiping the sweat off of his brow, he has a drastic change of plans and opted to make an offensive against these dirty, no-good AEUG terrorist rebel scum and hope to wipe them off the face of the planet once and for all. But then, that idea was pretty suicidal and risky, as he knew most of all how horribly slow the Psyco Gundam's movements were when it was in its MS mode due to its weight and thick armor.  
  
He just gulped as he saw these two humanoid behemoths lunge at him with what looked like short knives, but had a sigh of relief as the surrounding defense squad of three Zaku-II's and Marasais suddenly made a formation in front of him and looked as if they braced themselves for impact--at least, that's how it looked like to him.   
  
Lieutenant Ben Wooder could just see those remaining "legions" of Titan MS'es also advancing to his front, creating a makeshift barracks against the assault of the purple and red leviathans that looked like nothing he's ever seen before. He just chuckles silently and thought this would be quite the opportunity for him to at least transform into MS mode and put up a fight against the AEUG--even if only for a while.  
  
Amuro and his Kalaba partners, however, will not let Shinji and Asuka alone to fight the Titans by themselves, of course--not that he wanted to hog some glory for himself, but as he ordered Chris, Shiro, Emma, Reccoa, Camille, and what was left of their GM-II's to meet the Titans as they meet the two Evangelions head-on, he then thought maybe they could win this battle after all, keeping as little casualties as possible.  
  
Using each of their progressive knives and a little bit of old-fashioned barroom brawling, the two Evangelions hacked and smashed their way through the legions of Marasai's and Zaku-II's with a bit of difficulty; even though all of them were practically half their size and looked like little 18-meter children in contrast to the Evangelions' towering average height of 40 meters, the Titans just outnumbered Shinji and Asuka.   
  
As Shinji was having trouble whether to keep defensive with the A.T. field protecting him all the way or go on all-offensive berserker-like stance like what Asuka was doing, he just bit his lip as he struggled from the steely grip of two to three Zaku-II's holding him down by his Eva Unit-01's arms and simply flung them at nearby abandoned buildings and nearby Marasai's as well with a not-so-bloodcurdling war cry. He didn't destroy any of them, however, and he was even taken by surprise as two Zaku-II's came down on his head wielding beam tomahawks and looked as if they were going to slash him to bits.  
  
Instinctively propping up his hands as if they were a makeshift shield, Shinji Ikari only had to think of defending himself, and yet again, the A.T. field had protected him and his Eva-01 from the two descending Zaku's. As Asuka ripped off the head of an enemy Marasai and totally destroying it and its Zaku "friends", she saw this and leaped into action, progressive knife in hand, and stabbed at the back of a Zaku as she came down upon one of them.  
  
Asuka: /You getting *slow* already, Ikari?!/ (pins down a Zaku to the ground and stabs repeatedly at its chest cockpit, making it wither like dying prey and explode after a few seconds)  
  
Shinji: /You shut up, Asuka!/ (takes a similar chest cockpit stab with his Eva-01's progressive knife at the Zaku-II "on top of" him) /It's not like I *agreed* to kill all of these...these *people*, have you already forgotten we were just dragged onto this whole AEUG-Titans war thing?!/  
  
Asuka: (stands up) /So you're not willing to fight for all the people of the space colonies. Are you out of your mind?!/ (makes a crushing blow using just one punch to the "gut" of a Zaku-II beside her) /These Titans will just kill and oppress just to show who's boss in this whole goddamned space colony system! Can't you see that?/  
  
Shinji: /What good will it do to us if we kill as well?! We're just kids, Asuka, I'd rather us fight the Angels than to get involved in a war that these...these bloody *adults* have started!/  
  
Asuka: /You don't really *get* it, do you?/  
  
Amuro: (blasts a Marasai head-on with his Rick Dias' bazooka and sends himself reeling a few meters from the blast's impact) /Kids, stop your bickering and concentrate on defending the Agama. We cannot afford to lose now, now that we have the upper hand as you can see./  
  
Asuka: (sighs) /Yes, sir.../  
  
Still lingering from the "effects" of their synch training from their "original" commanding officer Misato Katsuragi, Shinji and Asuka charged at the remaining legions of Titan mobile suits with almost perfect synchronicity of each other, kicking and punching as they go, much like that graceful dance they did against the Angel just that morning.  
  
Camille: (through mild static) /Captain, it looks as if that big Gundam over there's already transformed--oops!/ (narrowly dodges a Zaku's tomahawk attack, shoves his beam rifle up the Zaku's chest cockpit, and pulls the trigger) /--to its MS mode.../  
  
Amuro: /So it seems, Camille. You wanna go at it?/  
  
Camille: (grins slightly) /The hell I do! Let's go, Capta--/  
  
Amuro: /Wait. There's some movement in those enemy battlecruisers back there--oh, shit, prepare for defensive measures, guys! Those ships look like they want to blast us to smithereens!/  
  
Emma: (takes a swing at an opposing Zaku's head with what was left of the Gundam Mk-II's shield and lunges a roundhouse kick at it) /Roger that, captain!/  
  
  
Reccoa: (lunges forward with her GM-II's beam saber, piercing an opposing Marasai's chest cockpit; increases the heat emission on the beam saber and slashes the Marasai apart upward and destroying it) /Yes, Captain.../  
  
Chris: (whacks two of her enemies' heads and destroys them with the blunt end of her bazooka while her Rick Dias fell to the ground; takes aim at one of them, and fires) /Gotcha!/  
  
The Sudry, along with its support ships, had indeed taken aim at them with each of their minor beam particle cannons and vulcan gun turrets and fired at will, but they hardly hit home at all thanks to Amuro's previous warning to all of his units.  
  
And as the Psyco Gundam finally completes its transformation into MS mode, it walked forward quite slowly, generating some sort of a beam blade from under its forearm, and started to slash away at the AEUG's mobile suits one by one, but the Psyco Gundam's current pilot would be quite disappointed since standard mobile suits would move faster than the Psyco Gundam, but this wasn't the matter since he was confident enough to withstand the AEUG's attacks on him due to the thick armor alloy the Psyco Gundam seemed to boast of.  
  
Bright: /To the Radish and Mont Blanc, aim your main mega beam particle cannons at the Sudry and at the big enemy Gundam and fire at will. I repeat--/  
  
At the rate of how the battle was going, to the Titan leader, it was indeed going towards the AEUG's favor. The two Evangelions were making a lot of kills among his troops, and what was worse, the AEUG's mobile suits, while not anymore in a defensive position, was slowly wasting away at his elite troops. At the back of Wooder's mind, he just wished the Titans' best of the best ace mobile suit pilots were around to save the day...but this just remained a wish, he regretfully realized.  
  
He breathed in and out deeply as he slowly advanced through the battlefield that was in fact once a typical bustling town but now looked like it had seen better days...he had to act, and he had to act *now*.  
  
  
  
  
Wooder: (thinks) Tch, this is bad...at this rate, I don't even know how much we'll hold on... /Everybody on the Sudry, listen to me. Evacuate now. I repeat, EVACUATE *NOW*. We are to commence Plan B./  
  
Namica: (gasps lightly) /...you're not serious, are you? What, you'll sacrifice this ship just so you could--/  
  
Wooder: /You don't need to worry about how you'll do it, you'll just have to put the Sudry's main controls on autopilot and set them targeting the Agama. It's no big deal programming the Sudry to ram itself into the Agama now, is it?/  
  
Everybody in the Sudry was just plainly shocked. "Ram the Sudry into the Agama?" What the hell? This expression of grim disbelief was immediately on the minds of the bridge crew, everyone else in the Sudry who had heard Lieutenant Ben Wooder's message, and of course, Professor Namica Cornell herself.  
  
Bridge operator A: ...Professor, we won't abandon the Sudry.  
  
Bridge operator B: Better to die in the hands of the AEUG than to run away like cowards...  
  
Bridge operator C: Even if this wasn't a day of victory for us, we will not go down without actually *doing* something to them! We will die for the cause of the Titans and the Federation! Death to all who oppose the Titans!  
  
Soon enough, there were loud cheers and frivolous applause; that last sentence would just surely rouse anyone who was determined to eliminate the bane of the Federation that was the AEUG once and for all and make that anyone even more determined and zealous to uphold what was righteous, what was for justice, and what was for order.   
  
At least, in the eyes of Titans like *them*.  
  
Namica Cornell realized this, but as she wasn't a soldier but a scientist, her way of thinking would differ from any of these...other soldiers. As much as she would like to give her life for the cause of the Titans...she believed she'd rather live for another day and take revenge later. At least, this was her belief.  
  
Sighing as she headed for the lower part of the ship where the escape "pods", as they were affectionately called, were stored for use, the professor for Newtype research stepped out of the room after she had declared her decision to her superior officer inside the Psyco Gundam. Ben Wooder looked disappointed as she gazed at his image in the Sudry's main monitor, but it was the best she can do. Never mind that she'll be branded a coward; she reasoned out...  
  
Namica: /I am no soldier like you, Lieutenant. Goodbye./  
  
Every Titan soldier then looked at the professor with just that much contempt.  
  
  
-----  
  
Just as Shinji and Asuka had just "finished their rounds" with their fifth MS kill, both of them carefully eyed the Psyco Gundam in front of them. Shinji and Asuka were both almost totally oblivious to the carnage happening around them as they sized up their approaching opponent and thought of a good strategy to do away with this big black Gundam.  
  
Shinji: /This thing sure looks ugly.../  
  
Asuka: /So what do you think we should do?/  
  
Ben Wooder reminisced what Professor Namica Cornell last told him when she and a few other Titan engineers had adjusted the Psyco Gundam's overall controls so it can be used by a non-Newtype like him. The beauty of the immense ebony mobile suit's installed "psycommu"-based controls was that one could, as put in layman's language, "predict" what an enemy was about to do. For example, before an enemy could ever make a jump attack on the Psyco Gundam, the pilot could relay commands by combined sheer thought and the "usual" controls.  
  
Shinji: /Beats me, *you're* the "leader", right?/  
  
  
Asuka: (raises an eyebrow) /I dunno if that was directed to me as an insult or whatever, because if it was, I assure you I *will* kick your ass when I get off this Eva, but I have an idea. Let's do what we did earlier./  
  
The Titan lieutenant inside the Psyco Gundam peered into the two Evangelions just *standing* there like they were waiting to be attacked. It didn't seem to matter to them, he thought as the Psyco Gundam advanced towards them, that his troops were about to attack them from behind--only to be foiled by these two...robots' allies. It didn't matter to him, though...he felt like he could kick anyone's ass at this very moment.  
  
  
  
Shinji: /Umm...are you sure that's a logical way to do it? I mean, this big Gundam isn't exactly as "dangerous" as that Angel we faced this morning, I don't think we'll actually *need* that--/  
  
Asuka: (smirks) /Oh, come *on*. Don't you have any *style*?/  
  
He just felt like he *knew* what these mobile suits were about to do. Carefully watching the movements of the enemy GM-II's and especially the Rick Diases and relying upon the Psyco Gundam's "psycommu-assisted" guidance system, he made wild guesses as to how the enemy might approach him. A few seconds later, he promptly *caught* a GM-II by its *hand* as it was jumping at him. He just grinned sadistically as his other hand got a hold one of the "minuscule" GM-II's feet, separating its limbs from the body, and totally mutilating it like it was some rag doll before he made it explode right in front of him.  
  
Shinji: (facefaults and winces) /All you ever think about is impressing other people, Asuka...can't we just do things by the book just for once? Besides, Misato's not here anywa--/  
  
Asuka: /Oh, don't give me that. Let's do this, Shinji. For all we know, this might earn us points for promotion into the AEUG, eh?/ (winks)  
  
As he saw the Psyco Gundam almost-effortlessly destroy its next victim, Bright Noah just cursed like bloody hell as he slammed his hands on the table in front of him. Through a mildly stressed and distraught Fa, he furiously relayed command after command to his ace pilots, which they just so diligently complied with. As his green Rick Dias zipped backwards after making his fifth kill on an unfortunate Zaku-II (just like the old days, he thought), Amuro took command of the whole situation in turn, ordering his troops to snipe instead of fighting the Psyco Gundam head-on. Camille just nodded as his Zeta's beam saber slashed away at his next kill, hacking it upwards after he had lunged it at the unfortunate Marasai's cockpit.  
  
Bright: /What in the bloody hell are you two *doing* standing around there like two idiots?/  
  
Asuka: /Captain, Shinji and I were just discussing what strategy we could apply for this situation...just that this moron beside me couldn't accept that *my* way's better than his.../  
  
Shinji: /...who the hell are you calling "moron", you dirty little--/  
  
Asuka: /See, Captain? He's disagreeing with me! I just--/  
  
Bright: /You two just...SHUT. UP. AND. FIGHT, damn it!/  
  
Mirai: (takes away Fa's headset from Bright) Give me that! Don't be so hard on these two kids... /You're Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Sohryu, am I correct?/  
  
Shinji: /Y...yeah! That's us.../  
  
Asuka: /And who are *you*?/  
  
The RMS-099 Rick Dias was an interesting mobile suit if ever there was one. Borne out of the early Zeonic designs of old such as the MS-09 Dom, the MS-R09 Rick Dom, and all likenesses and would most likely be reminiscent of the Principality of Zeon's heavy mobile suits, thanks to the Zeon backgrounds of a few of Anaheim Electronics' engineers, the Rick Dias is basically an agile and maneuverable MS developed by Anaheim Electronics and the AEUG resistance organization. Almost everyone who's fought in this new AEUG-spearheaded war of resistance against the Titans knows that a man known as AEUG Lieutenant Commander Quattro Bajina and his two "sidekicks" were the first to be seen using these unique mobile suits, and that an additional two were commissioned to be used by Captain Amuro Ray and Ensign Christina MacKenzie of the Kalaba.  
  
Everything, to Amuro's grasp of the situation, was going quite smoothly, as he just let his Rick Dias glide almost a meter off the ground; the Rick Dias' movement *was* also derived from the Dom anyway to the point that one would mistake this mobile suit to be a latest model for the Dom.   
  
Amuro even shouted to his troops to stay alert as his Rick Dias glided slowly, but surely, backwards as the recoil of the explosion that happened while he was blasting away at an enemy Marasai or two of them unfortunate enough to be in his way. Now, his Newtype senses would have served him better had he fought in the army during the seven years between the One Year War and Gryps...sure, he was alert enough, but still, rusty.  
  
Mirai: /That's not important right now. Listen, kids. If you want to discuss strategy, I might have to say you might want to do that at a later time since there's a battle all around you, and you two are "competitors" in this battle. Don't depend too much on your...A.T. fields? Yes, I think that's what they're called...anyway, get yourselves going, children./  
  
Asuka: (blinks) /Yes, ma'am! Come on, Shinji, you little lazy creep! Get your ass MOVING, you hear me?!/  
  
He just didn't foresee that his Rick Dias was slowly, and surely, leading him into imminent danger...to his apparent surprise, that "evil" aura emanating from the Psyco Gundam had suddenly manifested itself behind him. It was like his senses froze as he just saw himself gliding into the gaping arms of death itself; thanks to the "rustiness" he had acquired over the years, he just didn't have the time to make a quick move.  
  
Even if he was a Newtype.  
  
Shinji: (eyes getting big and points at Amuro's Rick Dias) /.....OH, SHIT! LOOK OUT, CAPTAIN!/  
  
Asuka: /...!!/ (gasps)  
  
Wooder: Heh. Gotcha!  
  
The equally bulky hands of the Psyco Gundam had indeed taken their death grip on the green Rick Dias' head and one of its shoulders. Amuro struggled to break free from the single-handed headlock that the Psyco Gundam had applied to his Rick Dias, and the effects of that headlock were beginning to be felt; a few of his monitors surrounding him had turned into static. If this goes any further, he thought, he'll be practically "blind" for the rest of the battle.  
  
Everyone who was allied with Amuro Ray stopped in their tracks as they saw their comrade being held up by his mobile suit's head, but promptly took cover from possible enemy fire by either putting up their shields as to the GM-II's and pointing their beam rifles/guns threateningly at their remaining Zaku/Marasai counterparts as to Chris, Emma, and Reccoa, or hiding behind rocks and destroyed buildings, as to the three AEUG battlecruisers.  
  
Likewise the remaining handful of Titan mobile suits were aiming their beam submachineguns, bazookas, and whatnot at their AEUG and Kalaba counterparts, anticipating the next sudden move that they might make and that they are notorious for.  
  
Each one of the AEUG pilots was stunned silent at that precise moment...as is with Shinji and Asuka, who were merely five or six blocks away from the Psyco Gundam, if one were to use such units of measurement--somewhat of a mere short distance away from their Evangelions, but they couldn't make any move, lest they risk one of their superior officers in the AEUG (but more specifically, the Kalaba) getting killed. And this was not just any two-bit officer, this was Captain Amuro Ray.  
  
To each person who was at that very place in Hong Kong where this bloody clash of gundarium alloy, gunpowder, and beam particle cannon fodder had taken place, they weren't quite surprised when the Psyco Gundam, or at least, its pilot, began to "speak" through its public address "megaphone".  
  
Wooder: /Well, well, looky here. I caught myself a Dom! And a green one, too! Tsk tsk...heh, figures...I'd expected every one of you ass-hats to use Zeon mobile suits for your vile plans...looks like I'll make mincemeat out of *this* one first!/ (makes the Psyco Gundam's hands tighten their grip on the green Rick Dias' head and right shoulder, making dents on it)  
  
Amuro: Shit... (bangs one of his fists on the panel in front of him) My cameras are dying out, this...freak's holding me up by the head, and no matter how much I struggle... (tries to move his Rick Dias around, waving its free limbs wildly, in failure) ...this son of a bitch won't let go of me...heh, I guess this renders me completely helpless till this guy totally kills my cameras and tears off my right arm. What to do... (whispers) /Shinji, Asuka, can you hear me?/  
  
Through static, Shinji and Asuka can both see Amuro's blurry image in front of them. A sigh of relief immediately came out of them as they realized their "superior officer" was safe and sound...for now.  
  
Shinji: /Y...yeah.../ (gulps)  
  
Asuka: /Yes, sir, we can hear you.../  
  
Amuro: /Listen. We don't have much time. Don't worry about me...come here and rip this guy apart, *now*. I just *know* you two can do it--I've seen you take risks with those..."Angels" back in Japan. This is only a mere Titan mobile suit that's as tall as you are and has armor as thick as the next MS.../  
  
Shinji: /But...those were Angels! And we can't risk *your* life over--/  
  
Asuka: /...Shinji./  
  
Shinji: /What do you want now?/  
  
Asuka: /I have.../ (cranes her head leftwards, to a certain point fifty meters away from her at 2:00, on the ground where Camille's Zeta Gundam was) /...a plan./  
  
Now, Asuka might not be a Newtype with much experience as Amuro Ray had, but she knew she was a Newtype nonetheless...she could just sense...something when it was near. Especially when that something--or someONE--starts talking to her telepathically, and that someone was giving her battle strategies, too.  
  
Of course, being a Newtype himself, Camille sensed this familiar "aura" too...it was below him, and he sensed *she* wasn't at all pleased with the whole situation.  
  
Camille: (loosens his collar and wipes the sweat from his brow) (Why did you come back? I thought I let you leave already?)  
  
  
  
Four: (leers angrily at the Psyco Gundam) (Let's just say I have a few knots I wanted to untie before you guys leave.)  
  
Camille: (sighs) (You could have at least hidden yourself, silly...you'll get killed at this rate...)  
  
Four: (Now don't get all paranoid again, honey...here I am trying to help you guys out and you whine and bitch at me? The least you could do is *thank* me, you know...) (sighs) (Just shut up...and *watch*.)  
  
As Four just stood there straddling Camille's motorcycle under the roof of an abandoned ruin of a mini-mall so as not to be seen by anybody else but Camille (and Asuka, strangely enough), she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together as though she was in prayer and concentrated hard. Real. Hard.  
  
Four: (Asuka...that's your name, right? That's what you told me earlier...can you hear me?)  
  
Asuka *can* hear Four's voice talking to her...just that she couldn't "talk back" at her; she knew she was a Newtype, she just wasn't very keen on telepathic conversations. Asuka Langley Sohryu was *not* trained for that...at least, she felt it was unnecessary...until now.  
  
Four: (You can talk back to me, hon. Just *think* it, like how you control your...robot, your machine...)  
  
Asuka: (I can hear you...)  
  
Four: (Good. Your machine and your partner's are quite unbelievably fast, I've seen them in action just now. Listen, I want you two to run towards the Psyco Gundam and attack it just as you would if it weren't holding that green MS up. Just as he would try to make that green MS as a shield against you, both of you split up and attack it from the sides. I'll be overriding the Psyco Gundam's controls from here, you need not worry about Captain Amuro Ray's welfare since he'll be able to break out by then...)  
  
Asuka: (Wait, how did you know Amuro-san's there?)  
  
Four: (There's no more time, just *do* it, Asuka!)  
  
Asuka: Right... /...Shinji, how much more battery backup power will we have if we disconnect our umbilical cables?/  
  
Shinji: /I reckon we'll have, like, five minutes or less...wait, you're not planning to...! It's risky, Asuka. Don't do it./  
  
Asuka: /This might be the only way, Shinji. Please, for this very instant, trust me and do *not* question my ability, all right? We've been friends for so long, Shinji, you have to learn to trust me, just for once.../  
  
Shinji: /...all right./ (grips his "cockpit handles")  
  
Asuka: /On three.../  
  
Still in almost-perfect unison, both Children pressed some controls on their Evas' "cockpit handles", making the "plugs" for their umbilical power cables fall to the ground with a steamship-like hiss, kicking up some dust in the process. These umbilical power cables connected them to the two aircraft carriers just a moderate distance away from them; now that they've disconnected themselves, their backup battery power immediately activated.  
  
They had five minutes and twenty-four seconds of battery time.  
  
Shinji: /One./  
  
One of the few remaining Zaku-II pilots defending the Sudry and its support battlecruisers and that also had its beam submachinegun pointed and aimed at Christina MacKenzie's cobalt blue Rick Dias noticed something...amiss.   
  
Those big...robots just had plug-like *things* fall off their backs.  
  
The Titan pilot then thought, if he could alert the Lieutenant about this, and if he ever survives this battle, he'll get promoted to ensign immediately...and have a higher raise, compared to the meager salary he received every month. Breathing in and out deeply, nervously, and setting his frequency towards the Psyco Gundam, and through stuttering words, he did just that.   
  
And of course, the good Lieutenant couldn't hear him very well; the static affecting their communications equipment in this part of Hong Kong was just so BAD that even a few of Wooder's cameras started to die out. This was getting worse by the minute, he thought.  
  
Wooder: /What's the matter with you AEUG wusses, cat got your tongue? Heh.../  
  
And yet, the good Lieutenant never even bothered to thank the poor, hapless, young Titan pilot. Was it something he said? Was it something he did yesterday? Oh well, he thought, there goes his 13th-month bonus...  
  
Asuka: /Two./  
  
Camille couldn't exactly snipe at the Psyco Gundam, although he had plenty of charges left on his beam rifle--he checked, it was still good for eight shots. This was actually good, he thought--*if* he could snipe from his vantage point at all, that is. It wasn't because Four was below him, he just knew she was just smart enough to take cover when he started firing. It was Captain Amuro Ray he was worried about...  
  
Though she was essentially only an "artificial Newtype", she could just sense Camille's feelings of frustration at that very moment. Not that she wanted to sense them; it was just that she felt there was some strange aura coming out of the Zeta Gundam. It wasn't the kind of..."black" aura that the Psyco Gundam was "emitting"; it was something more...powerful.  
  
She focused her thoughts even more towards her old machine, that enormous black Titan behemoth of a mobile suit now holding up one of Camille's AEUG friends by its head and looked like it was going to crush that head. She focused her thoughts and concentrated hard. Harder than before, perhaps, when she was talking to the girl pilot named Asuka in the big, strange-looking, red humanoid robot, but she definitely looked like she was praying to whatever deity she could think of right now.  
  
But actually, she focused all of her energy and unique power as an "ersatz" Newtype into the Psyco Gundam and started overriding its controls--a feat never been done before by any known Newtype to have ever existed. Not even Amuro, not even Char Aznable (whom she'd heard of when she was in one of the Titan research labs and can vaguely remember who or what this Char Aznable is), and not even her dearest Camille Vidan.  
  
It was time she'd done that feat first.  
  
Opening her eyes, she muttered softly...  
  
Four: ...three.  
  
And as she had uttered that very same word, the two Evangelions were already on their way, running wildly towards the Psyco Gundam with their pilots screeching out fierce and violent battlecries, progressive knives in hands. Wooder saw this sudden threatening move from the two robots now scampering towards him and waited for the right moment to make a "human shield" out of the Rick Dias his Psyco Gundam was now holding "hostage".  
  
All hell then broke loose among the ranks of the Titans and the AEUG, with the latter's offensive suddenly upped in full swing, taking their enemies by surprise and slowly and surely picking them off one by one. The Titan mobile suits weren't to be let down to such petty attempts, though; they likewise did their worst and felt this was the deciding battle to end all battles. They, the Titan pilots, just had a little too much faith in the Lieutenant, the Psyco Gundam, and the righteous Titans as a whole...  
  
They just didn't know what will hit them.  
  
Just as Ben Wooder thought the Evangelions were to make a frontal attack against him as they inched closer and closer by the second, he raised up the slightly maimed frame of Amuro Ray's Rick Dias so as to make it a crude shield against these two, but as he had anticipated the MS he was holding to explode, it didn't. Instead, a few beeps went off indicating that the two robots had indeed gotten to his left and right, and as he had relayed commands to block any possible attacks from the side...  
  
Several error message windows soon popped up in front of him that said such things as "OVERRIDE ERROR", "THE SYSTEM HAS JUST MADE AN ILLEGAL OPERATION, PLEASE RESTART", "SYSTEM IS BUSY", and the like. "Oh, shit," were his last words as he struggled and banged at the panel in front of him. It did no good, however, as that panel in front of the Titan lieutenant had started to spark wildly. He frantically searched for the escape hatch as he saw the two Evangelions about to swing their knives into the Psyco Gundam's head...  
  
...and had connected.  
  
The Psyco Gundam's pilot cockpit, unlike standard mobile suits, and since it has a beam particle cannon in its chest, was located inside its head.  
  
-----  
  
Everyone was shocked--at least, every Titan MS pilot who was on the battlefield and every Titan crew member aboard the Sudry and its Salamis-class support battlecruisers found their hopes sink to a new low as they saw the Psyco Gundam's head explode as these two new robots sank their...*knives* at it, twisted them like doorknobs, and letting them stay there till it finally exploded.  
  
This was a bit of a surprise for Shinji and Asuka as well; they never thought it would go so smooth--and here they had gone through the trouble of disconnecting themselves from their umbilical power cables. Shrugging, they thought they might take this opportunity and make a break for the remaining Titan mobile suits as their fellow AEUG pilots are currently doing.  
  
It was then Shinji saw he was taking part in a massacre--against the "bad guys" that is, and wondered if all of this *is* part of his job as an Eva pilot.  
  
But that was not all that Four had up her sleeve--while the Psyco Gundam was practically uncontrollable now that the main pilot cockpit was destroyed and while the two robots as big as her old Psyco Gundam looked like they turned their sights on the remaining Titan MS'es, she remained focusing her thoughts on the enormous black headless Gundam, and like a puppet, made it walk slowly towards the now-retreating Sudry as the Titan Audomura-class battlecruiser turned itself around slowly and started to withdraw from this clear and obvious defeat.   
  
Amuro's Rick Dias' right arm was almost useless, and his cameras were almost all non-functional; at least, that's how it looked like to him on his status monitor. "I can do this," he thought as he raised his beam tomahawk and charged at some Titan MS'es near him slashing them left and right in a fit of rage. He just *wasn't* going to let himself be humiliated like what happened just a few minutes ago ever again...  
  
Camille made his Zeta Gundam kneel down and extended its hand down to Four as if he wanted Four to climb into the Zeta Gundam's hand. He also opened his cockpit hatch and stuck his head out to face Four on a more "personal" level. Four, in turn, looked up at Camille and lost all of her concentration on the Psyco Gundam after she had telepathically "set the Psyco Gundam into autopilot," still heading towards the Sudry.  
  
Camille: .....  
  
Four: ...Camille...  
  
For that brief moment, they just stared at each other in silence as if they were ignoring everyone making battle all around them. For around two minutes, they just looked into each other's eyes intently and deeply, as if they were communicating without words....and just looked on.  
  
With a distressing expression on her face, Four looked away from Camille and just shook her head, straddled Camille's motorcycle, started it up and scooted away with a trail of smoke behind her, looking as if she was intentionally hurrying away from the Zeta Gundam, and from Camille.  
  
It all looked like she just disappeared from his life forever, without even saying goodbye. No, wait, she did say goodbye...but came back...and went away again. This was a disaster, Camille felt, and sat back into his Zeta Gundam's cockpit, closing the airtight hatch behind him that separated him from the battle about to be concluded in a very, very short while.  
  
If this is what Four wants, Camille thought as he made his Zeta Gundam stand up and make a break running towards the remaining Titan MS'es, he'll just gladly oblige...even if he felt like he wanted Four to have decided for herself otherwise.  
  
With a sad sigh and his beam saber outstretched, Camille charged at a nearby retreating Titan MS and fought on side by side with the rest of his AEUG companions for the remainder of the afternoon. Although it was clear that the AEUG had once again had won this battle against the Titans, Camille wasn't at all pleased, what with everything that had happened to him today.  
  
It was already late in the afternoon as this hard battle--or bloody massacre, at least in Shinji Ikari's eyes--raged on; it definitely looked like the tide was turning to the AEUG's favor. As the Sudry was making its escape and loading "injured" and whole MS'es into it, Asuka saw this as she plunged her Evangelion Unit-02 progressive knife at her seventh Titan MS as an opportunity to conclude this battle herself...  
  
Asuka: (runs hurriedly towards the Sudry and grins) /You *won't* get away--YAAAAAAHHHH!! Gekigan Hypaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! KIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!/  
  
.....huh?  
  
Camille: Geki...gan...?  
  
Shinji: (thinks) ...hyper...  
  
Bright: ...kick? (eyebrows meet and blinks)  
  
And with that, ignoring the Zaku's and the Marasais beside and in front of her, she made a flying kick at the tail of the retreating Titan battlecruiser, the impact of Evangelion Unit-02's kick sending the Sudry reeling a few meters and spinning nearly 360 degrees so as to make the ship's main battle bridge face towards her.   
  
Shinji: (raises an eyebrow) "Gekigan Hyper Kick"? Have you been rummaging through my stuff again, Asuka? And I don't remember Gekiganger 3 having *that* kind of special move, what the hell's up with that?   
  
Asuka: DUH! I've been "rummaging" through your stuff, and yes, there wasn't any special move by Gekiganger 3 like what I just did; I just made it all up. So shaddup, you dummkopf, you unecessarily ruined my moment.  
  
Actually, that sort of remark happened when she felt the soldier's brief terror before his end came to him. As a Newtype herself she "heard", but totally ignored the terrified screams of the Titan crew on board the bridge as they saw the imposing four-eyed countenance of the Evangelion Unit-02, with a blood-curdling shout Asuka then sent her two fists clasped together (her progressive knife in one hand) as if it were an ax-handle coming down on the Sudry's bridge. It was then and there that the Sudry totally exploded; its debris flew all over the place and the impact of the Sudry's explosion would have scratched Asuka's Evangelion Unit-02's enamel paint coating as well had she not deployed an A.T. field in time.  
  
And just nearby, a military helicopter hovered over and behind the Agama, as if it were just a mere spectator. Misato, who was piloting the helicopter at the time, along with her three other Nerv colleagues Shigeru, Maya, and Makoto, couldn't believe what had just happened to this place.   
  
Misato couldn't believe Asuka could just be so...cruel, yet so excellent. At least, that's what she thought, because she just *knew* they were on the side of the "good guys".  
  
Or are they? But that sort of thinking would have to stop and concentrate on future campaigns... for now, at least.  
  
-----  
  
At this point Bright ordered his troops to withdraw for this victory they claimed over the Titans once again; he informed them that this was a big enough moral injury for the Titans, so "that was enough for the day," he said.  
  
In the briefing room inside the Agama and "telecast live" via webcam to the Mont Blanc and the Radish, Bright relayed to all AEUG personnel concerned that since the much-awaited supplies have already arrived and that they have enough backup MS'es, ammunition, and of course, food to last them a few more months for the war effort, and that since he had already laid out plans to strike at the Titan base in New Guinea and use the facilities there to launch the Agama into space, he also told his troops to make preparations for the upcoming assault on the mentioned area in a few minutes.  
  
All of this seemed like nothing at all for Camille right now since he was so deeply thinking of his separation from Four Murasame, someone who could have been the love of his life from that day on. It looked like he was listening intently to the AEUG captain's message, but actually, his mind wasn't there at all. Knowing him from childhood times, Fa already knew if Camille was thinking deeply about something, but it wasn't as if she could--or *would*, that is--help him right now. Though Fa still loved him, she was deeply hurt what with this whole new development that's happened--Camille was indeed seeing another woman, and a cuter one, at that. This...Four Murasame, she was quite an enigma to Fa as she was to Camille.  
  
Misato Katsuragi was also listening intently and silently to her new superior officer's message to his people, careful not to miss out on any instructions he might give. Shinji and Asuka, listening as well, wondered silently if Misato was indeed paying attention to Bright Noah...or Amuro Ray, since the latter was seated way out directly in front of his Captain. The two Children looked at each other and snickered, making Misato thwap them upside the back of their heads.  
  
Misato: What are you two laughing at?  
  
Shinji: N...nothing, ma'am...  
  
Misato: Then pay attention, all right? (thinks) Man...every angle you look at that guy, he's sooooo adorable! (tries to stay stern as possible, but blushes lightly)  
  
Shinji and Asuka then just shrugged.  
  
Bright: Is everything clear? Good. Now, if there'll be no further questions I'd suggest you people go back to your positions and prepare for launch to New Guinea. Dismissed. (makes a hand salute)  
  
-----  
  
Bright Noah had expected the Audomura back sooner but he commended his former White Base subordinate, and now Kalaba officer, the still-plump Hayato Kobayashi on getting his ship back to Hong Kong. Bright had made a "little request" of Hayato "for old times' sake" that he should bring Mirai, his children, and Quess to India as soon as possible since Hayato was going there anyway for his own military errands.   
  
Amuro, on a sad note, had specific requests on "backing up the Audomura" and that he should take Officers Christina MacKenzie, Shiro Amada, and the Mont Blanc along with them.  
  
Bright: All right, if you insist. You did tell me that this morning, didn't you? Well, good luck...and it was nice seeing you again, Amuro. I *do* hope, though...that you'll come back to space with us, along with Camille and the others. The boy needs guidance, and I need your expertise to guide him any way you can...  
  
Amuro: It's all right, Captain. I think you've got what it takes to handle him on your own... I wasn't so different from him in the last war, remember?  
  
Bright: Don't give yourself too much credit.   
  
Amuro: (chuckle) ...You'll be the first to know that, Captain. Anyway, you'd also realize the idea of me fighting alongside Char disgusts me... I admit I don't like it, but I'm afraid it will have to do for now.   
  
Bright: (shakes Amuro's hand) I'll see you later, then.  
  
Amuro: (shakes Bright's hand back) Later, Captain.  
  
Hayato: It's time, Amuro, Captain. (shakes Bright's hand as well) It's been very, very good to have seen you again in seven years, Captain Bright Noah. I hope we'll be able to fight alongside each other once again...  
  
Bright: But we are, right? As far as I can remember, Commander Brex Forra told me that the Kalaba, along with other anti-Federation resistance groups excluding the Zeon, are allies with the AEUG, right?  
  
Hayato: Yes, that's correct. (sighs) Well, seeya, Captain.  
  
And as Bright saw his former White Base subordinates off, he did wonder if they'll all see each other again. In space, he thought deeply...in space, where history repeats itself and where almost a billion people have died because of these wars between *people*.  
  
Some things just never change, he told himself...  
  
But then, at least Bright had new allies in Captain Misato Katsuragi and her Evangelions. He had earlier asked Misato where the "blue one" was, to which she promptly answered that "Nerv needs Rei and Unit-00 against the Angels while Shinji and Asuka are away." As he walked back to the Agama's bridge, he was still baffled by the fact that some unknown Federation-backed, yet independent organization was fighting such beings as these..."Angels".  
  
The angels he'd always known since he was a mere child were the winged ones, and they look far less ugly than what he'd already seen. He then wondered if "Angels" were a codename for these weird-looking beings or whatever as he was greeted by some..."new personnel" in the bridge.  
  
Bright: What the heck is *this*?   
  
Shigeru, Maya, and Makoto: (stands up in attention and salutes Bright) New personnel reporting for duty, sir!  
  
Bright: At ease. And umm...please take your seats. Captain Katsuragi, can you expla--  
  
Misato: I can explain, Captain. You see, our Supreme Commander back in Nerv, Gendo Ikari, had ordered a few of our Nerv personnel as well to work for the AEUG for the time being alongside our pilots. He did not give any specific reasons for this act of support but I can assure you, my people have enough experience to handle these kinds of--  
  
Bright: Now hold on for a second. I understand Nerv's concern for the AEUG, it's just that this...gesture isn't really necessary. It's not that I don't trust your personnel, of course, it's just that...it's all so sudden. I mean...  
  
Fa: It's okay, Captain, I've also agreed to the change in personnel in the Agama's bridge. I'll be fighting alongside Camille and the others in this new transformable MS that I have been told the Luo Industries have also given us...here are the blueprints and CD-ROM manual, Captain. (gives quite a thick folder and a CD-ROM case to Bright)  
  
Bright: Hmm...the Methuss. Are you sure you're up to this? I haven't seen any of your pilot credentials or anything when you got on board this ship as a bridge operator...I'm also worried you might get killed out there, you're just a kid, like Camille...  
  
Fa: (smiles at him) Captain, like I said, it's all right. Camille taught me how to pilot an MS when on our days in Side 7 and he says I'm pretty good at it, I just feel that I need just a little bit more practice, that's all.  
  
Bright: If you say so.  
  
Misato: Captain, I'll take the liberty of training Fa in MS piloting using the built-in simulator in one of your MS'es...the Rick Dias, is it? Yes, I've heard that the Rick Dias has a built-in "flight/dogfight simulator" in it.  
  
Bright: Agreed.  
  
Misato: Thanks, Captain. (salutes him) By your leave.  
  
Bright then saluted back at the "former" Nerv officer and Fa, who was similarly saluting at him, and saw them leave the bridge room. He then walked over to the three new "bridge bunnies" appointed to operate the Agama's primary controls and thought he might get to know these people from Nerv better.  
  
-----  
  
While Misato had greeted Camille, who was in fact just outside the main battle bridge just as Fa and Misato were coming out, the younger girl totally ignored the blue-haired boy and insisted that they should go on their way.  
  
Camille: I...hear you're going to undergo formal training for MS piloting, Fa.  
  
Misato: (stops walking and turns around to face Camille) Yeah...yeah she is...Camille, that's your name, right? Anyway, she feels like she could be of help for the AEUG and all, and I'm personally taking her under my wing for the formal training. I *have* been reading up on how the basic controls for a standard MS works, so I think we should do fine. (grins)  
  
Camille: Is that so...  
  
The younger girl still didn't even bother to face him.  
  
Misato: Well, I think we better go now. Come on, Fa, we have a lot of work to do... (walks on ahead of Fa, who was still standing there in silence) Fa? Let's go, anything wrong?  
  
Fa: .....what's it to you if I undergo special MS pilot training? It's not as if I'll be any better than you or whatever...  
  
Camille: I'm just concerned if you *really* want to go through with this--  
  
Fa: I assure you, I *really* want to go through with this. You need not worry, though--I'll try not to be "in your level". Anyway, it shouldn't be a big deal to you whatever I do from now on...you already have that woman now, right? Tell me, Camille...how did her lips feel like?  
  
Camille: (his now concerned face tightened into an annoyed expression) And what the hell does "that" suppose to mean?  
  
Misato: Oh...my...God. (gasps, then thinks) Lips...? Oh, shit...I can't believe I'm in the middle of a lovers' quarrel...hmm, maybe if I just... (walks away stupidly and grins just as well) ...waaaaaalk away slowly, and--  
  
Fa: (grins at Misato) Captain Katsuragi, didn't you say we have to go somewhere so we can start my training? Let's go! (takes Misato's arm and walks away from Camille's sight)  
  
Misato: Hmm? Oh, sure! Sure... (walks with Fa, but briefly looks at a very angry Camille with much concern on her face)  
  
Camille: (can't think of a better retort, apparently the fighting today drained his constitution than what he realized) Well, fine! Do what you want! I don't care!  
  
The blue-haired boy just couldn't believe what Fa had just said. While he was tempted to say that Fa was just being jealous, he just couldn't bring himself to say it. Pretty much what she said *was* true; Four was practically *his* woman now, he even had a long, wet kiss for proof.  
  
But on the other hand, he was furious that Fa was butting into his own damn business again. She never grows up, always thinks she had a hand over him and nags on how to live his life. And now she was doing her way to obviously annoy him... not realizing that he had considered her as the only family he had left in this crazy war.   
  
Camille felt like he could just pull his hair out in frustration, or kick against the hallway's metal wall. It couldn't get any worse than this, he thought.  
  
-----  
  
Bright: Hmm...it's nice to see I have an all-Japanese cast in this...play. Have you three been already informed of our itinerary for this evening?  
  
Maya: Yes, Captain. I remember we were to head for New Guinea tonight to do an air-and-ground strike at the newly-constructed Titan base there. I was also informed that we were to head to space, using the Titans' shuttle facilities to launch the Agama and the Radish.  
  
Bright: Good, good. I see you people have been paying attention. Tell you what...would you three like a cup of coffee, say...right now? I want to discuss things further with you for tonight.  
  
Makoto: Umm...coffee would be great, sir!  
  
Shigeru: Yeah, can I also order a side dish of donuts as we--OOF! (gets whacked over the head with Maya's clipboard) Hey, don't mess with my hair, I just had that done!  
  
Maya: I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't be so bossy around our new boss here!  
  
The four of them just laughed as the three former Nerv "bridge operators" shook hands with their new "boss", as Second Lieutenant Maya Ibuki would put it. Bright then faced his ship navigator Torres.  
  
Bright: Set our course, Officer Torres.  
  
Torres: Right away, sir!  
  
The AEUG captain right then wondered whether his family and Quess would be just fine as they made their way to India, a particularly neutral country as far as this war was concerned. But even so, this didn't help appease his worries for his own family, whom he told that it was better for them to stay away from the action of the battles "Daddy" was going to be involved with.  
  
Bright: (crosses his arms) We're going to New Guinea.  
  
-----  
  
As much as Titan Admiral Jamitov Heimann wanted to crumple the damage report paper he was reading over, he just couldn't. He didn't want to risk looking bad towards his lower-rank officers like he did right now.  
  
Bosque: So, the AEUG is making its move to our base in New Guinea. Looks like these rebels have been making quite a significant amount of damage to us...shall I launch a fleet to defend our base there?  
  
Jamitov: I am still undecided on this move you're proposing, Colonel.  
  
Bosque: But we have to strike *now* before they gain any more strength! I even hear Captain Bright Noah's joined the ranks of the AEUG like what Lieutenant Commander Scirocco says here!  
  
Scirocco: (relaxes in his chair) Do not be alarmed of these...unanticipated developments, Colonel. I'm sure we can think up of...something to remedy this.  
  
Bosque: You're the one to talk! You have *no* idea how much reputation Bright Noah has gained seven years ago--  
  
Scirocco: He only won because he had the Gundam. The Zeon were totally caught off-guard with it, and not even the mighty "Red Comet" Char Aznable and the Zabi family were able to stand against it, although the Gundam *was* totally destroyed, according to Federation reports. This war against the AEUG is a whole new ball game, might I remind you, and the Federation has certainly improved on its facilities and MS technology. You should not worry too much, Colonel Bosque Ohm.  
  
Jamitov: Professor Scirocco's right, Colonel. Especially now that we're tapping into the power of the Newtype, it will not be long until we can produce an army of super-soldiers even greater than natural-born Newtypes. Proof of it's now being researched and improved by the minute...in China, even.  
  
-----  
  
It was quite a long ride from the town where Camille's friends and "her former masters" had clashed just a few hours ago; from the looks of things, Four felt relieved to be back in Hong Kong's main vicinity. She stopped in front of a nearby familiar-looking sushi bar--this was the place she got to know Camille better. For a brief moment, she felt like she regretted ever leaving Camille behind, but like she told him this afternoon, this was for the better.  
  
How ironic it was when at this very place where she had gotten to know a wonderful, good-looking, sweet young man who could very well be the only person she'll ever love and feel free from the chains that bound her to being "what she used to be", that she would once again be bound.  
  
The people around Four looked at her like she was either some escaped convict or a poor, unfortunate soul as ten men in full battle gear, obviously Titan foot soldiers, surrounded her and pointed their firearms at her. Four just looked at them calmly in the eye, then gave a dry chuckle.  
  
Four: Took you bastards long enough.  
  
Titan soldier A: Murasame Newtype Laboratories Subject Number Four, alias "Four Murasame"... (handcuffs Four from behind) ...we are placing you under arrest for defecting to the AEUG in time of battle. (pulls her by the collar) Don't blame us, freak.  
  
Four felt like she could just kick the arrogant man's shin for that remark, but at least she wasn't all so frantic about it, like she guessed Camille would have felt in a time like this. It couldn't get any worse than this, she thought as she boarded the police van and thought sadly of the single most important thing to her life, aside from the realization that her true memories would eventually be granted back to her.  
  
But she was confident enough to know that she will, one day, be reunited with Camille Vidan, no matter what...  
  
  
To be continued  
-----  
  
Half a year. Half a frigging year.  
  
I'm very sorry for the lateness of it all since I've been very busy with everything happening at once; at about the time I've finished the chapter before this one I kinda gave up on the road to being a lawyer someday in favor of finding myself a job and umm...some post-graduate stuff I need not tell you kids about.   
  
As always, my thanks go out to a few of my friends in the SRW Message Board, namely a girl named Anti-R and a guy named Merkavah_Paladin for their invaluable contribution as to making suggestions and advising me on ideas I wouldn't have thought of had the two of them not been around. Again, I thank the both of you.  
  
I also thank my girlfriend Rachel for also being a big help for this piece of fanfiction I've been so working hard for almost six months.  
  
Quoting what I said back in Chapter 6, "I can't promise a new chapter *soon*, but I'll try my best to make something up," and I'll try my best to make something up definitely. I just have to pay attention first to some...personal things I have to pay attention to, like reviewing for the Foreign Service Officers' Qualifying Exam to be held next year.  
  
"C&C's are welcome, NO FLAMES PLEASE. Until then, 'Believe in the sign of ZETA...beyond the hard times from now.'"  
  
----- 


End file.
